


Tension Rising

by cablesscutie



Series: Katara Has a Cat [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Friends With Benefits, porn that grew plot, reluctant pet ownership
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:26:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27448585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cablesscutie/pseuds/cablesscutie
Summary: The feud between Katara and cat-Tara continues to escalate.  So do things between Katara and Zuko.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Katara Has a Cat [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996381
Comments: 140
Kudos: 375





	1. Chapter 1

Zuko’s fingers dug into Katara’s thighs where he held them spread wide as he licked into her. Her feet dangled uselessly where they hung off the end of the bed, and the helplessness of the position heightened the sensation. There was no leverage for her to push away from the intensity of his attentions, just her absorbing the onslaught of pleasure. He was merciless as always, holding her down and taking her apart, in control even on his knees for her. His tongue probed deeper, nose bumping against her clit, and she squeaked, hands buried in his hair gripping tighter. It was so good - he always ate her out so enthusiastically, getting his face sloppy and wet and her all dishevelled. She could feel sweat at her temples and the backs of her knees, her back arched - and there was a sharp pain in her foot. Katara’s leg jerked reflexively.

“Fuck!” 

“Yeah, you like that?” Zuko asked, lips and hot breath against her folds. A moan pulled out of her throat, then the pain was back again and Katara had felt it enough times that summer to know exactly who the fuzzy little culprit was. Damn cat.

“No!” she snapped, and Zuko pulled back abruptly. “Ow!” she yelped as cat-Tara went back for another bite. 

“Are you okay?” Katara didn’t answer, pulling her legs up and scooting herself to the middle of the bed, and Zuko looked up at her, horrified. “Katara?” She lunged back towards him, and he flinched, but she wasn't even looking at him. She flipped herself over the foot of the bed, hanging there with her ass in the air and yanked up the dust ruffle to look under the bed and see the cat’s glowing eyes glaring back at her. She fucking knew it. With an irritated growl, she plunged her arm into the darkness, only to flinch back when Tara took a swipe at her with her claws. 

“Fuck! Stupid cat.” Sitting back up, she saw Zuko relax when he realized he hadn't hurt her, and reluctantly looked away from the expanse of Katara’s naked body to lean down and see the tiny beast hidden under the bed. He laughed when he caught sight of her, and wiggled his fingers on the carpet. Tara lunged out to bat at them, and he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, pulling her out into the semi-darkness. The cat howled her protest at being removed from her very fun cave, but Zuko fixed her with a stern look.

“Nuh-uh,” he scolded as he scooped the cat up into his arms. Katara opened her mouth to shout a warning that he was about to be shredded to ribbons, but cat-Tara settled comfortably in Zuko’s hold. Zuko glanced at Katara slyly, then back to the cat and said, “It’s Mommy’s playtime now. You’re just gonna have to wait.” The arousal that had receded at her anger surged back, and Katara practically vibrated with tension while she heard Zuko taking the cat to the living room. “Get up there. You’re going in time out, missy,” she heard him say, probably trying to deposit Tara on the top level of her cat tree. It was hardly a punishment, but she appreciated the sentiment anyway, even as she bit her lip to keep from giggling at the image in her head of Zuko, stark naked, boner and all, trying to discipline nine pounds of malevolent chaos.

When he returned to the bedroom, he made sure to shut the door firmly behind him. Pausing, he just stared for a moment, at Katara sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed, hair spilling over her shoulders. Katara stared right back, taking in the way the soft light cast shadows over his leanly muscled torso, following the slanting lines down from his sharp collarbones, to very pleasingly cut abs, to the defined V of his hips, until she was drawn inexorably back to the sight of his erection hanging heavy and wanting. She uncrossed her legs, giving him a teasing view as she let her knees hook over the mattress, leaving her toes just skimming the soft pile of the carpet again.

“Sorry about her,” Katara said, and Zuko shrugged, eyes not lifting from the splay of Katara’s thighs.

“It’s fine. She didn’t hurt me.” Katara crossed her arms, and Zuko’s gaze leapt to her chest.

“No, she just decided that despite the fact that I feed her and scoop her litter box and don’t leave her in the alley, I deserve no orgasms and a bloody foot. Ungrateful little - You’re not listening to me!” Zuko startled, but composed himself quickly and shot her a dirty grin.

“I was absolutely paying attention,” he promised, stepping closer to the bed.

“Mm hm.” Katara pulled her legs closed. She went to cross one over the other, but Zuko darted forward to catch her ankle. Kneeling in front of the bed, he pulled her foot into his lap and inspected it. There was not actually any blood, just a couple of surface scratches turning pink and a little swollen. He smoothed his hands over the top, pressed his thumbs into the arch, and Katara dropped her arms, holding herself up as she leaned back on her palms.

“Does it hurt?” Zuko asked as he continued up to her ankle, gently rolling it around, controlling the tense and release of her muscles. Her cheeks felt a little warm, but she nodded her head yes, biting her lip and trying to pull off a coy expression. He smiled back at her conspiratorially, acknowledging that whatever game this is turning into, they were in it together. “Here?” He asked, warm hands sliding back down to press at aching parts of the soles of her feet she hadn’t even realized were sore. She nodded, and he lingered there. 

By the time he made his way upward to her knee, working the tension out of her calf as he went, her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the gradual loosening of her muscles. He set that leg aside and reached for the other, giving it the same meticulous attention, and Katara felt like she was melting. She occasionally indulged herself in a massage to purge the last of finals tension from her body, but Zuko was another experience altogether. Their nudity, the thwarted passion lingering in the air, made Katara moan at the sensuality of the experience. 

“Feeling better?” Zuko asked as he reached her other knee, setting that leg aside too. When she looked to the sound of his voice, her breath caught at the sight of him kneeling before her again, looking for all the world like he was ready to eat her alive.

“She got my hand a little too.” She lifted one hand from the bed, offered it to him delicately, like a queen greeting her subject. He rose up higher on his knees to take it, but she pulled it away slowly, scooting back to sprawl across the bed. Zuko followed, still reaching, until he was on top of her, pinning her hand to the mattress. He kissed her open palm, up each finger, down the inside of her forearm, and she shivered. He kissed down her bicep, her collarbone, lifted his head to watch her reaction as his free hand slid between her legs again, finding her still wet. Her eyes went wide at the brush of his fingers over her clit. “Zuko,” she whispered.

“Seems like you’re alright now,” he teased, pushing two fingers inside her. Katara’s back arched, and she moaned. “But I think you want to feel even better, don’t you?” His fingers curled, rubbing just right inside her.

“Please,” she gasped. He leaned down and kissed her ear, made soothing shushing noises even as he drove her crazy with his touch.

“It’s okay, Katara,” he said, and oh how she loved the sound of her name on his lips, the way his voice crackled like a warm fire as it moved over the vowels. “I’ll take real good care of you. I always do.” 

It was true was the thing. In the few weeks they had been hooking up, Zuko had quickly become the best lay she’d ever had. He was hot, yes, and certainly...ahem... _giving_. But the way he talked was probably her favorite thing about him; the way he could go from joking and teasing to making her blush in an instant, and how cared for she felt when he would check in with her. It made him so easy to trust, to let go in his arms knowing that her pleasure mattered to him and that she was safe. So she was maybe a little too sincere when she said, “The best.”

“A thing like that could really go to a guy’s head,” he warned, but smiled easily. “Besides, it’s you that makes me like this.” He kissed her neck. “You’re so good.” Another kiss. “So sweet.” She strained to get closer to him, and he rewarded her with his lips pressed to hers, coaxed her mouth open. She breathed him in, but when she went to pull him closer, he pulled back. A whine pulled itself from her throat. “Relax,” he told her. The bed shifted as he left, and she heard the sounds of him rifling through her nightstand for a condom and rolling it on. She smiled at the ceiling above her, suddenly giddy with anticipation.

And then his hands were on her hips, flipping her over. She yelped and her vision spun, disoriented by the sudden movement. Zuko lay down over her again, and pushed one of her legs until it bent up and out. He brushed her hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck.

“Fuck me,” she said shakily, fingers digging into the duvet. Katara felt his lips curl into a smile. Then finally he was pressing into her, groaning at the slick slide. “Mmm,” she hummed, enjoying the familiar stretch, wiggling her hips as she settled against the bed more and he began to move. The slow rocking of his hips, his breath on her neck, set her alight. Moaning, she pushed back against him, but he didn’t change the pace, staying slow and steady.

“Oh no, you just relax,” he said, and she didn’t need to see his face to know the smirk that he was wearing. “I’ll take care of everything,” he promised, burying his face in her neck, biting and sucking in a way that was sure to leave a mark. “I’ve got you.”

“Oh,” she sighed. Then again when one of Zuko’s hands slipped under Katara, splaying over her stomach. It didn’t move where she wanted it just yet though, just stayed warm, pulling her closer to Zuko. She clenched, and Zuko’s movements finally faltered. He thrust into her hard and sudden, and she sucked in a quick breath. “Yes,” she breathed, and squeezed him again.

“Katara,” he groaned. A shiver of pleasure ran through her. Fingers twisting tighter in the covers, she tried to push up and get more leverage, but Zuko didn’t budge, keeping her down. “Easy.” A kiss on her shoulder, and then his hand dipped between her legs. Muffling her moan in the bed, Katara melted. With Zuko’s cock rubbing deep inside her and his fingers circling her clit, there was nowhere for her body to go to escape the sensation, and the pleasure welled up, collecting until it poured out of her with a cry of his name. Shaking and whimpering as Zuko fucked her through the aftershocks, Katara heard the hitch in his breath right before he stilled, anticipated the groan that she felt rumble through his chest as he came.

Zuko pressed his forehead between her shoulder blades as he composed himself, breathing settling, muscles relaxing until he was slumped over her.

“Are _you_ okay?” she teased, trying to look over her shoulder. She felt his laugh.

“Yeah. Incredible.” He kissed her spine. “As always.”

“Flatterer.”

“Bad liar,” he reminded her. She made a displeased sound when he pulled out. “I’ll be back.” 

When he came back to her, flopping down on the bed, she felt a pleasant strain in her muscles as he pulled her into his arms and arranged her against him. Zuko heaved a satisfied sigh, and Katara enjoyed the press of his chest against hers. Tipping their foreheads together and closing her eyes, she bumped the tip of his nose with hers. He smiled and told her, “You’re cute.” One of his arms draped over her wrist, and he dug his fingers into the muscles of her back as he rubbed up and down along her spine. She did the same to him, and he let out a pleased hum, tightening his grip on her minutely.

“You may actually be my favorite person,” she told him. 

His voice sounded a little off when he asked, “Really?” Katara opened her eyes and saw Zuko looking at her with a hesitant expression, like he didn’t quite believe that she actually liked him.

“Well, yeah,” she said, starting to feel herself get flustered. “I mean, we have great sex, you make me laugh, you didn’t ditch me with an evil foster cat.” He cracked a small smile. “You also don’t antagonize me about my aversion to dating apps.”

“That last one may be a little self-serving,” he pointed out, but he was grinning like her Zuko again. 

“Point still stands.”

He stayed for a while, eventually sitting up with her to drink some water and talk. He told her about working at the tea shop, which she had found out was owned by his uncle. She laughed at his stories about the weird and annoying customers, his uncle’s uncomfortably insightful wisdom. Katara told him about how she’d had a family come by to meet Tara, only for the cat to stubbornly wedge herself into the corner behind the radiator and refused to come out. She showed him the explosion from when Suki had gone and mentioned Katara hooking up with someone in the groupchat. And then their glasses were empty and Katara’s eyelids started to get heavy, and Zuko said goodbye.

“Stay,” he urged gently when she started to get up to walk him out. “I’ll lock it behind me.” She didn’t protest. She also didn’t protest when he pulled back the covers for her to wiggle under and pulled them over her.

“Thanks,” she said, settling in under the blankets. He leaned down to kiss her, and she leaned up to follow him as he pulled back, begging just a couple more seconds of his lips. She watched as he roamed around the room easily, collecting his clothing and getting dressed again. He looked back at her as he was pulling his jeans on, and raised his eyebrow at her, smiling. She smiled back, eyes closing. As she fell asleep, his face played back behind her eyelids.


	2. Chapter 2

Finals always came way too soon for summer classes, and Katara found herself going from lazily working her way through online modules, half-forgetting classes existed, to frantically combing back through readings and pulling together essays in what felt like the blink of an eye. In the midst of the chaos, Sokka organized a last minute meeting with a potential family for cat-Tara, giving her just hours to abandon her highlighters and scramble to clean up the hot mess she’d let the apartment become. The possum nest of blankets that she’d spent almost an entire week living in got unravelled and folded neatly into the basket by the couch, takeout containers were gathered and jammed into the recycling bin, and the windows were opened to banish the scent of stress sweat and depression naps. All that work, only for Tara to promptly hack up a hairball and run for cover when the couple arrived. Which, of course, left Katara attempting to talk the cat up, and her acting skills were not of a level to convince anyone of that monster’s redeeming qualities. So after about fifteen minutes of the couple crouched on the floor to try and coax the cat out, and Katara trying to think of more compelling arguments than _she doesn’t shed much_ , they left. Cat-Tara did not.

Zuko didn’t either though, and Katara was not so secretly grateful for that. As her stress climbed, and the loneliness of summer in the city trudged on, she found herself inviting him over more and more often. Although by the day of the thwarted adoption, she hadn’t seen him in five days because she was so buried in work that taking time to eat usually seemed luxurious. In the past 24 hours alone, she had turned in three assignments, and Reading Day had only been two days ago. Instead, she found herself reduced to scrubbing her shower as a reward between pulling a powerpoint out of her ass and forcing herself to outline a research paper. 

Cleaning was helping with her stress though. Seeing things turn shiny and new the more she scrubbed, pushing her body while her mind shut off, was a welcome break from being hunched over her laptop. But being bent over the edge of the bathtub for so long and feeling the ache in her knees...well after a while, that started to inspire the part of her brain she hadn’t been allowing herself to use. The sudden thought struck her that she would be even more relaxed if she was bent over for Zuko instead of for housework. Phantom sensations of his weight and warmth washed over her, and she could feel herself blushing alone in her bathroom.

She pulled out her phone to send her usual “come over” text, but pulled up short at the last second, self-conscious for the first time about how frequent and overwhelming her desire to see him was. Their agreement thus far was simple, unencumbered by silly terms and conditions. If they wanted to see each other, they saw each other. If they wanted to text each other, they could (although thus far they hadn’t outside of making plans or sexting). She’d wanted boba one day while she was out and when her phone told her the closest place was The Jasmine Dragon, she hadn’t let herself second guess going. When Zuko saw her walk in, he’d expressed his surprise, but didn’t seem unhappy, and when his Uncle had poked his head out from the kitchen to ask how Zuko knew the lovely young lady at the counter, Zuko had told him they were friends. 

They _were_ friends, Katara maintained. They cared about each other, but whatever moments of longing there were, they were entirely physical in nature. Katara didn’t lie awake at night pining after he left - it was unusual if she saw the text that he’d gotten home before the next morning. When she talked to her father or grandmother on the phone, there was no urge to let his name slip into conversation. There had to be something wrong with her - she’d never been so insatiable in romantic relationships. What was it that kept drawing her back to him so quickly? 

The Gaang 👽👪  
  
I have an important question that requires data.  
  
**Katara** posted a poll: how much fucking is too much???  
**Sokka** left the chat  
Fair.  
  
Toph  
Ooooh Sugar Queen!  
Spicyyyy  
I like it  
This chat has been lacking in chaos this summer  
Suki  
Answer: none of the above, no such thing.  
Aang  
Wow, this is the kind of thing I expect from Toph  
Katara, I'm shocked  
Suki  
Guys she thinks she's fucking too much  
That's the opposite of spicy  
Toph  
Katara fucking anyone is v spicy  
Suki  
Her spicy fire nation lover rubbed off on her  
Pun very much intended  
I hate you so much.  
  
Suki  
Sure babe  
Toph  
Hey Katara  
No  
  
Toph  
You didn’t even let me ask my question  
You get no questions  
  
Toph  
Is his cum spicy?  
Aang  
UM  
Toph  
*CUM  
Aang  
NO!  
**Toph** was removed from the chat  
Suki  
This is a dictatorship, Katara  
Sokka left of his own free will  
  
Suki  
That's just what you want us to think  
Aang, if something happens to me, just know that it was 100% Katara's doing  
Aang  
Katara can do whatever she wants  
She's perfect  
I have one (1) true friend  
  
Thank u Aang  
  
Suki  
So what I’m hearing here is Aang agrees that there is no such thing as too much fucking  
And you and Zuko should just go bang off into the sunset  
Aang  
That was super not what I meant  
Suki! Be serious!  
  
Please  
  
I'm genuinely confused  
  
Suki  
Ok sorry babe, let's get real then  
Are you experiencing any pain?  
Not in a ~bad~ way  
  
Suki  
Is HE experiencing any pain?  
Not as far as I know?  
  
Suki  
Ask him. If he’s good too, then you guys are good.  
You’re young, you’re stressed, you’re hot af  
And not for nothing, so is he  
As long as you’re both happy, this is totally normal.  
If I told you how much Sokka and I did it when we were first together...let’s just say even I’m not cruel enough to make you live with that information.  
Ew  
  
Also we’re not really together  
  
Not like you and Sokka  
  
It’s just fucking  
  
Suki  
Point still stands. Stop trying to find something wrong with a good thing.  
Okay.  
  
Thanks 💙  
  
Suki  
💚  
Aang  
Aww  
Suki, you do have a heart!  
**Sokka** was added to the chat  
**Toph** was added to the chat  
Suki  
Sokka, it's safe to come back now  
Toph, we're changing the subject  
I will personally boot you again if you heckle Katara  
Toph  
Whoa did feelings happen while I was gone?  
Aang  
Yeah, it was cute  
Toph  
Gross  
Glad I missed that then  
But also  
Veeeeery interesting...  
Sokka  
I'm choosing to believe this was for serious research purposes.  
I will accept no corrections.  
Okay then we can talk about the fact that I STILL HAVE A CAT  
  
**Sokka** left the chat  


Katara let out a frustrated sound. Her brother had been skirting the issue of cat-Tara’s continued presence, and she was fed up with it. The anger burning in her chest only made her want to work out her tension more, jaw clenching and unclenching as she swiped away from the group chat. As she opened her conversation with Zuko, Suki’s advice replayed in her memory. _Ask him. If he’s good too, then you guys are good._ Okay. She would ask him how he was. A quick, responsible, very normal check-in. And if he was fine too...well, then her evening would be looking a lot better.

🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
Hey  
  
I can be there in 45  
Bold of you to assume that's what I was texting for  
  
I know I'm just a piece of meat to you  
I'm not hurt  
...If it helps, it's very nice meat?  
  
"very nice meat"  
You vixen  
Dick  
  
All this dirty talk is gonna makeme embarrass myself, sweetheart  
Fuck you  
  
That's it, I'm leaving now  
I'll be there in 20  
Wait  
  
Seriously, I had a question  
  
Oh  
Sorry  
What's up?  
Just...speaking of you not being hurt...  
  
You're not, right?  
  
By an insanely hot girl hitting me up for mind-blowing sex multiple times a week?  
Just wanted to make sure I'm not being...too needy I guess  
  
I like you needy  
Yeah?  
  
Yeah  
Good  
  
Again with this dirty talk...  
But...on a related note...  
I actually did leave my apartment and I could just check the mail and go back up, but...  
I could also come over  
If you wanted  
If that was, like, a part 2 to this question  
Good  
  
Because I want you to bend me over and take me the second you get in the door  
  
How's that for dirty talk?  
  
15 min  
Running  


Katara was biting her lip to fight a stupid grin as she put away her phone, fears assuaged, even if she had no better explanation for what was happening to her. Whatever strange thrall Zuko had over her was clearly mutual though. For today, that was enough.

When Zuko buzzed into her building ( _thirteen_ minutes later), she strippd off all her clothes, so that when he knocked, she had to keep the door between them until he stepped inside. When he peeked behind the door and saw her waiting for him, she quickly found the door being slammed back into its frame, her back pressed against it as Zuko leaned in to kiss her hard and dirty. He was a little sweaty - _Spirits he did actually run all the way there_ \- and the sweatpants he wore let her feel just how quickly he was getting hard for her when she wrapped her arms and legs around him until the only thing holding her up was the press of their bodies together and his hands groping her ass.

“Fuck, I missed this,” she sighed when his mouth slipped down to kiss her neck. Zuko nipped at her skin, sending a jolt through her. She took the roll of his hips and subsequent moan as agreement. One of the hands holding her up slid until the tips of Zuko’s fingers brushed against her wet folds, and she gasped at the touch.

“So needy,” he murmured. Her face warmed at the memory of her tentative questioning earlier. What must he think of her, getting so desperate so fast? His fingers shifted again, nudging inside her, just a bit. It was just the barest promise of what she wanted, and she squirmed in his arms as he played with her opening, trying to sink deeper onto his fingers. “How could you think I didn’t like this? I could just slide right in whenever I wanted.” He demonstrated by finally pressing two fingers in her all the way, and Katara moaned his name, arching her back away from the door. “Would you let me?” he asked, lips right against her ear, something almost tender in his voice as he stroked her inside. She nodded, and composed herself enough to pant,

“Yes. Whenever you want. Please. Always want you.” Her feet pushed at his sweats, trying to get them to fall off his hips, and Zuko laughed, even as he removed his fingers from her so he could hold her legs still. “Hey! Hey, if you keep trying to pants me, we’re gonna fall.” Katara laughed too, even as her body cried out to be filled again.

“Then get a clue and get naked,” she complained. “I told you I was impatient.”

“You know, I’ve been just as deprived as you,” he reminded her, releasing her legs and forcing her to stand again. She immediately started kissing at his jaw and letting her hands wander, one up the front of his shirt, and the other down his pants even as he was trying to pull them down. “ _Agni_ , you’re pushy today,” he choked out when she got hold of his cock in a firm grip. He stripped off his shirt and then let himself curl forward into her embrace, and Katara relished the warmth of his skin as leaned on her. For a minute, he let her be in control, making bitten-off sounds of pleasure as she stroked him. But then, one of his hands slid into the hair at the back of her head, tightening into a fist and making her gasp, then twisting a little until she dropped his cock. 

He pulled back to look her in the eyes, and she was watching him with rapt attention. “You’ve been working so hard,” he said. “So I’m gonna give you what you wanted now, okay?” His grip loosened enough for her to nod without the sting being unpleasant.

“Please,” she breathed. He held her hair tight again, but his face was soft, other hand gently guiding on her hip as he led her away from the door in a perverted waltz. He guided her to take a few steps into the apartment and turn away from him, then pressed on her hip until she followed the pressure to her knees, then the pull of his hand until she was bent over, head pillowed on her forearms. The polished wood wasn’t quite as bad as the tiles had been, but it would take effort to stay as he wanted her, and when she shifted, her nipples brushed the cold floor and made her breath catch.

“You needed this, huh?”

“So bad.”

There was no further warning before his cock was pushing into her. Holding her by the hips, he pulled her back onto him, over and over as she rocked with the hard and fast pace he set. Again and again, her body yielded to the thick insistent heat of him, and Katara let the stress leave her body in curses and moans. Her noises were clearly affecting Zuko, who was unusually quiet, gone gasping and stupid as he fucked her. Soon, she heard the catch in his breath that meant he was close, and one of his hands moved to rub her clit, and Katara could feel herself creeping up to the edge of her very needed and deserved orasm.

Then came the sound of scratching. And the needle skipped over vinyl in the song of her pleasure, leaving her with static just as her body was about to sing. She was thrown entirely off rhythm by the racket and the tell-tale sound of kitty litter skittering on her clean bathroom floor. All of the tension she had expelled returned tenfold, and Katara felt every piece of her contract in anger, and then release again in a frustrated scream. 

Zuko, apparently not the least disturbed, misread the scream entirely, and came, hunched over her and shuddering.

Katara froze, feeling a little bit like she wished she could just exit her body entirely as Zuko pressed his forehead to the top of her spine. This post-coital sweetness that settled in was one of her favorite things about him usually, but all she could think about in that moment was that his dick was about to start going soft inside her and she _hadn’t gotten off_. And she knew, or at least knew she should know, that if she said _keep going_ , he would. Zuko wouldn’t leave her hanging like this on purpose, but she was too blindingly angry to make words come out of her mouth, so instead she just pushed up onto all fours to get some semblance of dignity back. His hot breath washed over her skin, the hand that had been between her legs dropping to the floor to hold him up, as he accommodated her movement. His other hand released her hip and started to gently stroke her thigh. She closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down, only to feel something soft brush her stomach.

The cat.

The _fucking cat_ was walking right under her, like she wasn’t even there. And then Zuko’s head lifted from her back, his hand leaving her thigh, and he said, “Hey buddy.” Katara dropped her head to look behind her, and saw Tara rubbing up against Zuko’s leg, getting a pat on the head. That was enough to break her out of her paralysis.

“Would you get off of me already?” Katara grumbled, elbowing Zuko until he pulled out of her and scooted away.

“Oh, sorry,” he said, sounding apologetic but confused. 

She got to her feet, and from his place still kneeling on the floor, he looked up at her and finally saw her face. “Katara? Are you okay?” He stood, forgetting about the cat, even as the little critter tried to walk around his ankles. “Fine,” she grit out, crossing her arms over her chest in a futile attempt to cover herself a little. She knew her voice was entirely unbelievable and he quickly caught onto what happened, horrified realization dawning in his eyes. “You didn’t come.” Katara glared at him.

“I _almost_ did, but then the cat decided to take the world’s loudest shit.” 

Zuko laughed, a loud barking sound, and that made it even worse. She was going to kill him. But before she could decide on a proper method, he stopped himself and said, “Sorry,” wincing. “I feel like an idiot. I should’ve realized.” 

Tears pricked her eye as the anger ebbed, twisting up with embarrassment when she felt Zuko’s cum start to leak out of her even as she stood before him frustrated and tense. He approached her slowly, like she was a wild animal that might try to bite him. She felt a little bit like one too. He didn’t try to touch her, just stood close enough for her to feel the warmth of him as he asked, “Can I make it up to you?”

Katara blinked until her eyes cleared before she told him, “You can try.” When he still didn’t move to touch her, she realized that the power had shifted back to her. She looked him up and down, taking in his apologetic eyes, hunched shoulders, soft cock. It was strange to see him looking so vulnerable, stranger even than her own discomfort with him. Something had to set them to rights again, so they could get back to being the Zuko and Katara that had been the highlight of her summer. Shifting her weight nervously, she shuddered uncomfortably at the cooling wetness between her legs.

And suddenly she had an idea. She dropped her arms, squared her shoulders. “Take me to bed,” she commanded. Only then did he touch her, picking her up, not like before, but gingerly - draped over his arms like a princess. Carrying her over the threshold to the bedroom, the cat tried to follow, and he gave Tara a betrayed look.

“I thought we were bros,” he said. “What was that?” and Katara forced herself not to indicate any amusement as he nudged the door shut firmly in Tara’s face. He set down her gently on the bed before waiting patiently for instructions again.

“Move the pillows out of the way and lie down on your back.” Expecting the single-eyebrow extra judgy face he’d treated her to a few times, she found herself having to bite back a sharp comment when he instead complied silently. Pillows got stacked neatly on the floor beside the bed, and Zuko lay down, turning his head to look back at her. It was surprising to have him be so obedient. Zuko always gave her whatever she wanted, but rarely without comment or struggle of some kind. “Good,” she said, heart beating faster.

Despite it being a plan of her own devising, Katara found herself hesitant about the next step. Still a little unsteady, she wondered if maybe she should have him do some other pointless things around the room. Maybe she could make him kiss her or rub her feet again, get warmed up...No. Because no matter what she made him do in the interim, she would just be prolonging this strangeness between them. In her heart of hearts, Katara knew what she needed to expel this awful _used_ feeling curling in her gut.

She got to her knees and shuffled further up the bed, Zuko’s head turning to follow her as she hovered right over him. The gentle pleading in his expression said what she knew he wouldn’t ask of her: _trust me_. And she did, still. This was a weird moment, but he hadn’t really done anything to earn her distrust, so in the end she decided to put her faith in him and swung a leg over his shoulders, straddling him. Katara looked steadfastly at the wall gripping the curving bar of her headboard with white knuckles as Zuko sucked in a breath at the shock of suddenly having her pussy hovering over him, messy with his cum and the wetness from her earlier arousal. With only a slight tremble in her voice, she ordered him to, “Clean up your mess.” His hands reached up to hold her thighs immediately, going to pull her down to his mouth, but a last-second thought had her resist just long enough to tell him, “And, uh, pinch me if you can’t breathe.” When she glanced down, she could only see his eyes, but it was clear he was smiling again.

“Okay.”

Immediately, Katara relaxed when Zuko didn’t dive straight in, instead starting by smoothing his hands over her thighs, her ass, up to knead at her lower back just a little. Slowly, he warmed her skin and the tension bled out of her, grip relaxing on the bed. Then he kissed her inner thighs, as much as he could reach turning his head, trailing kisses over the thin skin but never all the way to her core. With each pass, she found herself growing less afraid of his next move and more anticipatory, heat starting to spread through her again.

A sigh escaped her at the first touch of his tongue to her thigh, and she knew she was back for real. He seemed to get that impression too, and started to work at his task in earnest. Each small patch of skin that was left warm and clean made Katara feel more and more at home in herself again. New arousal spiraled outward, bubbling up through her chest and flowing down her limbs until it made her fingertips tingle and her toes wiggle. His tongue just grazed her folds, and her mouth dropped open. A soft, “Ah,” slipped out, loud in the near silence of the bedroom.

Zuko’s hands tightened their hold, pulling her in and finally licking up her slit, pulling another noise from Katara. Still not done following orders, Zuko avoided her clit, instead pressing his tongue up into her, where she was properly wet again. She felt him hum contentedly against her, and she held the bar tighter to keep from grabbing at his hair.

“Zuko,” she sighed as he kept going, falling so easily back into his teasing ways. “Stop playing around,” she admonished him, her hips starting to move without her permission. She tried to nudge him where she wanted him most, not moving much, small twists and rolls all she could manage without losing contact. Finally, Zuko seemed satisfied with his work, and his tongue slipped up to circle her clit. A surprised “Oh,” fell from her lips, and Katara’s eyes flew open just for a second, only to slip closed again as she settled into the rhythm of both of them working together to get her off. As the pleasure climbed higher, one of her hands left the headboard and buried in Zuko’s hair, pulling until he tilted and the angle of his mouth rubbed just right over the tender apex of her thighs. She came like that, holding him down by the hair and using his mouth, her thighs pressed tight over his ears as she shook apart with stifled moans.

He went back to kissing her thighs and rubbing her back as she came down. This time, she could appreciate the sweet, intimate touches. When he lifted her by the hips to slide out from under her, she went easily, leaning back from the headboard and into his chest when he wrapped his arms around her.

“Am I forgiven?” he asked, peppering kisses along her neck. Katara hummed consideringly. She wasn’t angry anymore, but...she was more than a little curious about how he would continue to make it up to her, and after having been so thoroughly worked up and then abandoned earlier, her body could go again for sure.

“Not yet,” she said, teasingly.

“What are your next orders then?” he asked, pressing his smile to the soft part of her shoulder.

“I’m not gonna do all the work for you, I’m sure you can figure something out.” She figured he might flip her over and eat her out again, or maybe finger her, or even try to fuck her - which she actually wasn’t sure was she un-mad enough to let happen just then. 

Never one to go for the expected, Zuko leaned over to the nightstand and started rummaging around in the drawer. When he pulled his hand back, he held her vibrator up for her to consider. Sitting in his lap, her legs spread over his, Zuko’s erection pressing into her lower back, she was pleasantly surprised by him for the hundredth time. “You’re really sorry, huh?” 

“Definitely at least three orgasms sorry.” Katara’s mouth went dry, but she was also flooded with a fresh wave of desire.

“Three? That’s a lot of sorry.”

“I feel really bad about it.”

“Well who am I to deny you the chance to apologize properly?” 

“Too good,”he said, painfully sincere as he returned to kissing her. “Kinder than I deserve.” He leaned up to kiss her cheek. “Thank you.” Zuko reached up and pinched a nipple, making her back arch, body wanting to press up into his hands as he cupped her breasts. The friction of his palms rubbing over her, smooth skin with patches of rough calluses, was maddening. Her hips shifted impatiently in his lap, and he groaned at the pressure on his neglected cock. 

In a bid to get the upper hand again, Zuko fumbled for the vibrator, sliding it down over Katara’s slick opening, getting it wet. The silicone glided easily over her clit when Zuko slid it up to rub teasing circles, and she whined. His arms encircling her pinned her own arms to her sides, keeping her from touching herself, and he anticipation was killing her as he worked the vibrator inside her, refusing to turn it on as he fucked her with it slowly.

“Zuko,” she tried to sound admonishing, but it just came out desperate. A smug smile pressed against her shoulder, followed by a sharp hint of teeth. She expected some sort of smart remark, but instead he just turned the vibe on. Katara let out a rather undignified yelp, and an indignant, “Oh you _asshole_ ,” before he adjusted the angle and all further complaints fell off into a moan. He started thrusting shallowly again, holding it just right. The internal stimulation and Zuko’s free hand playing with her nipples felt so good, but the better it got, the more she found herself craving something, _anything_ rubbing her clit. She writhed in his hold, trying to free her arms, mindlessly searching for more sensation, but he just held her tighter, continuing to rile her up and up and up, but never quite high enough to break through the haze of lust. “Come on,” she panted, not quite sure if it was meant to be a complaint to him or encouragement to herself.

“You can do it,” he said, his breath against her ear sending another thrill through her, just a hair’s breadth short of what she needed. She shook her head frantically. “Yeah, you can,” he promised. “Just don’t rush it.” He kissed her ear, the hinge of her jaw. “Relax and enjoy it. This is all about you.” He shifted his weight and she was reminded of his erection, neglected where it was hidden between them. This was about her. This was his apology. She was _owed_ this. Katara tried to loosen up, rolling her shoulders to release the tension, letting her hips rock with the movements inside of her instead of trying to command them. She could still feel herself teetering on the edge, but it settled into an almost meditative high. Before she knew it, Zuko was telling her, “There you go. That’s better.” And then he pressed the button to increase the vibrations, and let the heel of his hand rub against her clit.

She came like an earthquake, the tremors reverberating through every part of her as she rode it out, her cries creeping higher until they broke off into choked near-sobs. Zuko didn’t let up. He kept working the vibrator between her legs where she was so wet now that she was soaking _his_ thighs. There was no time to truly comedown - she just peaked right up again, going from release to being on the edge again so quickly he couldn’t have really stopped it from happening. It was like he had tapped into an undiscovered well of need within her that refused to run dry. She thought she might be crying from the overstimulation now, but she could feel that high coming again and she couldn’t pretend she didn’t want it so desperately. It was already so close, she could taste the scream building right at the back of her mouth.

Zuko was no longer pretending not to be rubbing off against her, the movement of his hips just dropping her down onto the vibrator harder, the heightened vibrations still pulsing through her.

“Katara,” he gasped into her hair, his fingers digging desperately into her soft stomach as he tried to clutch her tighter. “Katara, please, can I be inside you when you come?” The desperately horny part of her shouted a resounding, _YES!_ at the idea, already supplying her with thoughts of how much thicker Zuko was than her little vibe, how much better he would fill her. She wanted it, but a tiny, evil part of her wanted to make him sweat it just a little.

“How badly do you want it?” she asked, not masking in her voice how close she was.

“So bad I won’t even come if you tell me not to,” he said in a rush. “I just want to feel it.” That was certainly an idea, but not quite the right one.

“More,” she gasped. 

“I’ll do your math homework.” 

“Four oh,” she reminded him, half expecting him to snark at her for talking about her grades in bed.

“I’ll cook you dinner,” he pleaded. 

“Close.” She was right on the precipice, and at that point not sure he would find something convincing enough to make her end his torture. What further amends could he possibly offer that would feel like enough?

“I’ll scoop the cat box.” 

It’s so stupid and gross that it should cut off her orgasm all over again. But it’s also _exactly_ what she wants him to do for her, and so weird that truly nobody on the planet besides Zuko would think to offer it to her as sexual bribery. She started laughing, but also said, “Yes!”

“Yes?” he asked, sounding baffled and a little winded. 

She nodded and said again, “Yes,” still giggling. He quickly slid the vibrator out and guided his cock inside her, moaning helplessly from how immediately overwhelmed he was by how hot and wet she was. Katara was still laughing, squeezing him as he started bouncing her and pressed the vibe to her clit, pushing her over the edge, giggles turning to sharp whines. He cursed, sounding rapturous as she gleefully rode him through the aftershocks. She wiggled one of her arms free, and grabbed his wrist, shoving the vibe off of her clit, down to where they were joined. Zuko came with a surprised shout that made her laugh all over again. 

After Katara had slumped onto the mattress, dragging him down to cuddle her, he regained his wits a little and laughed too. “Oh spirits, that was something.” Katara leaned in to kiss his lips.

“Sure was. You’re forgiven, by the way.”

“Good,” he said, and he looked so genuinely relieved that she just had to wrap him in a hug. He squeezed her back, and then eased out of bed. “Should probably clean up,” he said, bending down to kiss her forehead. 

As he left the room, she called after him, “Extra litter is in the hall closet!”


	3. Chapter 3

🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
**Friday** 11:47 PM  
Hey, you forgot your keys!  
**Saturday** 12:39 AM  
Shit, I wish I'd seen this before I made my uncle let me in.  
Sorry!  
It's not your fault, I just didn't think to check my phone.  
I didn't want to bother you if you were already sleeping.  
Well, it was my fault, I feel bad.  
I shouldn’t have just chucked your coat on the floor. Found She Who Must Not Be Named batting them around.  
😂  
Aw, she didn't want me to leave!  
Uncle's cat does stuff like that to him all the time.  
Your uncle has a cat?  
Yeah, his name is Mushi and he's almost as old as I am  
So many things make way more sense now  
Such as?  
For starters you actuall picked up that razor-clawed monster  
Oh no that was dumb as shit  
I definitely should've known better  
Could've gone SO bad  
If you think her attacking your FOOT hurt...  
Wow, you really did risk life and limb for pussy, huh?  
Choices  
Life and FAVORITE limb  
Wow  
Wow you're impressed by my bravery?  
No, just wow  
Boys  
...?  
Dumb  
😟  
Omg if I promise you an apology bj for the keys will you stop pouting?  
I mean I'm not gonna say no  
But seriously it's not a big deal  
He'd just got back from his pai sho club thing anyway  
Okay, so he wasn't mad?  
No, totally not  
Although for your own safety, you probably shouldn't come to the tea shop ever again  
Wait what??  
Why??  
He wouldn't let me inside until I admitted that I was with a "lady friend"  
If you ever show your face again he WILL corral you into dinner  
And then he WILL try to marry me off to you  
LOLLLLLLLL  
He's trying to get rid of his spinster nephew?  
Shut up  
Are you cramping his style?  
Honestly, I think I might be  
Oh Zuko  
I knowwwwwww  
Listen I don't love it either  
Well at least he isn't mad  
Okay I should let you go to bed, you're probably tired  
😉  
Um right back at you...👀👀👀  
Goodnight Katara  
Goodnight! 💋

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The Gaang 👽👪  
  
**Monday** 7:07 PM  
Toph  
Hey Katara, how's your spicy meatball?  
Ew gross Toph  
Suki  
Yeah Toph  
Besides, I think what you mean is  
How's your eggplant parm?  
🍆🍆🍆???  
Sokka  
Okay but fr can you guys not ask about my sister's sex life in this chat?  
She's an adult who can do what she wants  
But I don't wanna know about it  
Same  
Definitely not discussing this where my brother can see it  
Toph  
Fine

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🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
**Monday** 7:23 PM  
Hey Uncle's letting me out early, you up?  
Really, you're gonna go with "you up?"  
Basic  
Sorry for not wanting to invite myself over??  
Also you literally only got my number to send me nudes so can you judge?  
My judgement makes you horny and you know it  
Pretty sure everything about you makes me horny  
That's...sweet?...Maybe?  
Idek  
But anyway  
DO YOU WANT TO HAVE SEX IN APPROXIMATELY 36 MINUTES?  
...Sure.

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👅All Hoes No Bros 🍑  
  
**Monday** 7:38 PM  
Toph  
Tell us about the d now  
Omg seriously you guys??  
Suki  
Hey I didn't make the chat  
But since we're here...  
You've still never properly given deets  
...You get three questions  
Then I'm done  
Deal?  
Suki  
Deal  
Toph  
Deal  
Now what's his dick like?  
*sigh*  
How very heterosexual of you to ask  
Suki  
Yeah, weak  
(But answer the question Katara 👀)  
Okay, FINE, he's...big I guess??  
Toph  
Sugar queen ffs  
Suki  
Seriously, you're killing me  
Well it's not like I measured it or anything!  
It just feels substantial!  
Toph  
Promise me you don't try to sext this dude  
Yikes  
I SEXT FINE  
Suki  
You just send him titty pics until he comes over don't you  
HEY IT WORKS  
Suki  
*sigh*  
Fine, then just tell us what his specialty is  
Toph  
Yeah, what's got madam fussy britches...you know...droppin her britches?  
Uhhh actually he kinda...just got here so...  
Imma refresh my memory and get back to you  
Toph  
who are you and what have you done with Katara?  
**Tuesday** 12:22 AM  
Spirits he goes down like he's got something to prove  
Definitely his specialty  
Wow  
Toph  
You're one lucky bitch  
I really am

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🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
**Tuesday** 11:25 AM  
Hey thanks again for dinner last night, I was starving  
Lol which one?  
But seriously, it was nbd  
...You definitely earned it  
ha. ha. ha.  
Sorry I almost fell asleep on you  
Lol no worries  
Also you looked pretty dead on your feet when you got here  
You know you don't have to come over if you're too tired, right?  
Like, I won't just think you ghosted on me  
Fuck no  
You are way too good to ever ghost on  
Also better than sleep  
But not ramen apparently  
You were my dessert  
Best part of the meal  
**Wednesday** 8:30 PM  
Hey, total longshot, but do you happen to be free rn?  
I can't - have to spend time with Uncle.  
Oh okay  
Have fun!  
I want to see you  
It's just that it's my cousin's birthday and ever since he died, it's really hard on Uncle. I need to be there for him.  
It's kind of the least I can do after how much he's been there for me, you know?  
Zuko, I really meant it's okay  
You don't have to explain, I know you have a life

********

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The bubbles that indicated he was typing appeared and disappeared for long minutes before Katara decided that he was clearly not too engrossed in his Uncle to talk to her, so she just clicked through to his contact page and called him.

“Hello?” he answered on the first ring.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” He sounded nervous to talk to her, which Katara thought was pretty ridiculous given how many intimate and embarrassing moments they’d shared in the months since they met.

“I could practically hear you overthinking,” she told him.

“Oh. Uh...yeah.”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but if it would help...I mean, we’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, we are.”

“So you can talk to me about...things like this. Real stuff. If it would make you feel better.”

“I don’t want to put that on you - to be too much.”

“Being a person with feelings isn’t being too much, Zuko.”

“My ex seemed to think so. And we’re not even - I mean you’re not my -”

“Zuko,” she stopped him, her heart constricting painfully in her chest. A flicker of anger burned in her, for whoever had made him feel like he couldn’t rely on anyone. “I think it’s a good thing they’re your ex. And not just because you being single has greatly benefitted me,” she teased, hoping to lighten the mood. “It doesn’t sound like they knew jack shit about how to care about someone.” Zuko snorted, but it didn’t sound like he was particularly enjoying the laughter.

“Neither of us did, really.” Katara wasn’t really sure what to say to that, because she obviously had no clue what happened, and it wasn’t her business besides. After a moment of listening to each other breathe down the phone line, she asked,

“How’s your uncle doing?” From the one time she’d met his uncle at the tea shop, it was hard to imagine him being anything but jolly and charming.

“He’s okay, just sad. It was a long time ago.”

“That doesn’t make it easier though. Just...different.” Katara’s hand went instinctively to her mother’s necklace fastened snug around her throat.

“Who -” he started to ask. There was a particular way a person talks about grief when they have felt it - are still, perpetually feeling it - deeply that he clearly recognized in her words, but he cut himself off. “Sorry, you don’t have to...” he trailed off quietly.

“My mother,” she said, her volume dropping to match his. There was nobody to overhear, but these sorts of true confessions always felt like they shouldn’t be spoken at full volume. She closed her eyes, lying back on her bed. “When I was eight.”

“I’m sorry.” Usually it rankled when people said that, getting too close to pity that she never wanted, but from someone who so clearly understood, it actually helped untangle the tight ball of emotion in her throat.

“I’m sorry too,” she replied, and they lapsed back into silence for a moment. She felt the phantom weight of him on the other side of the bed, a memory of his warm skin. It was almost, but not quite, like missing him. “What was his name?”

“Lu Ten,” he said, and she recognized in his voice the sound of a name that was often cherished but rarely spoken.

“Kya,” she said, just to hear it aloud.

“That’s a nice name.” Katara had to fight down the warm fuzzy feeling that wanted to bubble up in her chest at the sincerity in his voice. It _was_ a nice name, and when Katara dreamed about her future - some far-off time when she would have a job that she loved and a cute little house and a nebulously pictured but kind and attractive partner - there was always a round-cheeked baby blinking up at her with the eyes she had inherited from her own mother, and in her dreams, Katara would kiss her baby’s forehead and whisper _Hello there Kya_. Now, in her mind’s eye, the blurry edges of her faceless partner started to sharpen, and Katara forced herself to open her eyes and stare at her ceiling before the image could resolve into something dangerous.

“Were you close to him?” She asked instead of responding to his comment the way she should’ve if she were a functional person.

“Yeah. My father’s a terrible person,” he said, and Katara’s brow furrowed as she waited for him to connect the two thoughts. “And my mom left when I was about ten, so Uncle and Lu Ten...they were my real family. He was my brother.” Zuko’s voice choked off a little on the last word, and she could hear a sniffle on the other end of the line. Losing her mother had changed her on a fundamental level; she would never be the same person she might’ve been had her mom still been around, but the idea of losing her _brother_? She wasn’t sure she would be able to feel like a person at all. It was her greatest fear, the shadow of it like a bruise that never healed. Even just brushing up against the thought had her eyes stinging. Katara ached to give Zuko a hug, wrap him up tight in her arms the way she could when he was in her bed and got overwhelmed like he did sometimes.

“It’s good that you and your Uncle are together today.” There were a couple more wet sounding breaths and another sniffle before he managed to say,

“Yeah.”

“I should let you get back to him,” she said, suddenly feeling guilty for keeping them apart. “Are you okay though?” Biting her lip, Katara worried that maybe the conversation had been too much. Maybe he hadn’t really wanted to talk about it at all, and she’d gone and dredged up all of this awful feeling for him.”

“Yeah,” he said though, sounding a little bit more together. “I promised Uncle he could kick my ass at pai sho earlier so...should probably get that over with.” Katara laughed, banishing the remnants of her own tears. Her eyes closed again, and she could picture the exact kind of smile that would be on Zuko’s lips. “But um, before you go, are you busy Friday night?”

“Never,” she said. “You know that by now.” It was his turn to laugh, a cautious thing, but happy.

“So can I see you then?”

“Of course.”

“Okay then,” he said, so quiet she had to close her eyes again to make out the words. A smile spread over her lips.”

“Goodnight, Zuko.”

“Goodnight, Katara.” Neither of them hung up right away though, listening to their breathing and waiting for the other to do something. Then Zuko took a deep breath, and Katara yanked the phone away and ended the call before he could speak, her heart suddenly pounding. On the bed beside her hand, her phone vibrated, and even as she turned it over, she was afraid of what the message would say. She sighed in relief when she saw it wasn’t Zuko, but opening her phone sent her pulse skyrocketing again.

********

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👅All Hoes No Bros 🍑  
  
Suki  
Okay, Toph and I have been conspiring.  
We have our final question.  
Have you caught feelings for this guy yet?  
Nope

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Sick dread curling in her stomach, Katara muted the chat immediately, then for good measure turned on Do Not Disturb, and went to bed at the criminally early hour of 9:15.

* * *

“This cat is going to be the fucking end of me, I swear,” is how Katara answered the door for Zuko on Friday. He blinked in surprise.

“Um, nice to see you too. Yes, the walk over was lovely. How are you?” he said with exaggerated cheer, edging around her and through the doorway.

“Sorry,” she sighed, shoulders falling. “How are you? It’s good to see you.” Katara went to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing him tight. He returned the hug, and said,

“I’m just messing with you. What’s up with the cat?” He used his hold on her to waddle them awkwardly over to her couch like a drunken octopus, making her laugh despite her frustration.

“So we had another meet with a potential owner - the first person that’s been interested in _weeks_ \- and what does she do?” Zuko flopped down on the couch, pulling Katara with him and shuffling until he was sprawled contentedly on top of her. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in the smell of her skin and her hair spread over the throw pillows. Lips pressed to her neck, and a warm hand slipped just under the hem of her shirt, smoothing over her stomach. Katara curled an arm up around Zuko’s shoulders, letting her fingers rub circles over the soft flannel of his shirt. “She hacked up a hairball and then ran and hid under the couch.”

“She’s not under the couch now, is she?” he asked. “We don’t need another run in.”

“Oh no - she booked it under my bed as soon as I left the room to answer the door. So apparently it’s just her room now.” He hummed, amused, and kissed her neck again, his hand slipping higher up on her ribs.

“Do you want me to go get her out so we can have the bed?”

“Mmm, no,” Katara said.

“No?” he asked, surprised.

“Don’t want you to get up,” she mumbled, eyes closing. The low rumble of his laughter and the heat of his breath made her shiver. Lips brushing the underside of her jaw, hand sliding up further still to cup Katara’s breast, Zuko pushed himself until he was hovering over Katara more than using her as a pillow. She hadn’t bothered to put on a bra, and his thumb circled the soft skin of her nipple, her fingers tightening in their hold where they had slipped to grip his sleeve. Her shirt was soft and thin enough that she knew he could see her nipples hardening even before his mouth came down to bite gently over the fabric. “Ah,” her breath left in puff, only for him to make her gasp in a new one as he shifted his thigh where it was wedged between hers. Firm muscle and rough denim pressed against her through her thin leggings, and she rolled her hips down into the friction. “Fuck.”

“Patience,” he teased, and leaned in to slot their lips together. Her lips parted to welcome him eagerly, longing for the taste of him. She squirmed against his thigh while his fingers kept teasing her breasts and his lips and tongue pushed and pulled at her own. It felt so good, but fell just short of enough to get her where she wanted.

Before long, the sounds she made pitched up into pleading whines, and he started kissing his way down her jaw, her neck, pushing her shirt up so he could swirl his tongue over her nipples before tracing down over her stomach. His hands caressed her sides, raising goosebumps as they trailed over newly exposed skin, until his fingers hooked in the waistband of her leggings. Katara lifted her hips to help him pull them down, shoving her panties with them.

“Alright, I can take a hint,” he said, gathering the fabric down her legs. Katara sat up and ditched her shirt while he struggled with the stretchy fabric at her ankles, laughing when he got distracted by the sight of her breasts. He shook his head quickly, as if to clear the image, and with renewed focus let his gaze wander the length of her body, so intense it was almost tangible. Surprising a yelp out of Katara, Zuko yanked her legs so she lay flat on her back. Before he could duck between her legs, she grabbed his sleeve and started pushing his shirt down his arms.

“This. Off,” she demanded, and he obligingly shrugged out of it and shed his t-shirt too. Katara ran her hands appreciatively over the muscles of his chest and stomach, his skin hot and smooth under her palms. “Much better.”

“You don’t get to mock me when I stare at your boobs anymore,” he said, then made a sound that Katara would accuse of being a giggle when she just honked his pecs in response.

“They’re nice.” He pulled away and situated himself back where his original goal was, but clearly couldn’t resist teasing her a bit more.

“In case you were keeping track, you’ve now said I have - and I quote - _nice meat_ , and apparently nice boobs too.” Katara had to look away to the ceiling because the combination of his back muscles shifting, his ass in jeans, and the smile he wore when he mocked her was a _problem_.

“For the record, you have a nice smile too,” she said, not a hint of a joke in her voice. And before she could feel self-conscious about the silence that followed, Zuko’s lips were on her pussy. Her breath hitched in her chest as he kissed her, the teasing pressure almost but not quite enough. Threading her fingers into his soft hair and pressing her heels into his back, she pulled him closer, rocking her hips to get more friction. Feeling his smile return, she mirrored it, because she knew what came next. He riled up so nicely when she got pushy with him, putting his all into leaving her stunned stupid.

His tongue pressed at her entrance, tasting the wetness that rushed out, and a low, possessive sound rumbled in his chest. She gripped his hair tighter, twisting the noise into something higher, pained. Licking up her slit, Zuko’s tongue curled around her clit. At the same time, he pushed two fingers in her. The shocking stretch and pleasure had her losing her grip on him.

“Oh, spirits,” she choked, scrabbling to get a hold of him again. His free hand gripped under her knee and pushed her leg up to open her up more. Fingers nudged deeper inside her, rubbing so good against her walls. Lips closed over her clit and sucked. The filthy sounds of his mouth and fingers working to get her off had her almost blushing from how much he had to know he was wrecking her. “So good,” she sighed, her toes curling, hips rising as her climax neared, all of her coiling tight. “Just like that, fuck yeah.”

Only to be unceremoniously dropped before she could reach the peak. Zuko pulled his mouth away, stilled his fingers. A kiss to her inner thigh smeared her own arousal and his spit across her skin, and she tried to pull him back, but he inched further away. His fingers slipped out next, and whined at the feeling of being left open and wanting.

“Hmm I think you’re gonna have to work for it today, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her other thigh. She whined and wiggled her hips, but he just laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“What do you want?” she panted, and he pretended to have to consider it.

He withdrew from her completely, shrugging her legs off his shoulders and scooting away until he sat in the middle of the couch. Then, he unfastened his jeans and slid them and his boxers down just enough to let his cock spring up. He gave himself a couple of strokes, until he was flushed and shining, an unabashed moan escaping his throat.

“Ride me.” She was quick to straddle him, and he sucked in a quick breath when her hand wrapped around him to guide him to her entrance. He whispered her name as she sank onto him, and she gasped as he fit so perfectly inside her, stretching her walls as her body welcomed him. Arms resting across his shoulders, Katara pushed herself up until just the tip of him remained inside, only to drop herself down again quickly, shocking them both at the suddenness. Zuko’s hands grabbed at any skin they could reach, clutching her hips, smoothing down her ass and over her thighs, rubbing up her back and tangling in her hair. She settled into a slow, dirty grind, closing her eyes as she relaxed into the now familiar feel of him filling her. Their chests were pressed tight together, so close that she could feel his heartbeat right on the heels of her own rabbit-quick pulse.

Gaze level with his, she took in the dark gold of his eyes, staring back at her with equal fasciation. His cheeks were tinged pink, lips flushed and swollen, and _spirits_ still wet from eating her out. He was so beautiful it knocked her a little silly. This close, she could smell herself on his breath and his skin, had to lean in and taste it in a kiss, humming into his mouth. He tilted her head with the hand tangled in her hair so that he could kiss her deeper. An arm spanned her lower back, holding tight and stilling her movements. He pulled back just enough to promise, “Shh, I’ve got you.” That was something she had found time and time again she could believe in, so for a long moment, she allowed him to hold her and enjoyed the simple bliss of making out.

The tension rising between them was palpable but not unbearable. Katara wanted to move, wanted to ride him hard and fast, but for now she could content herself with letting him be sweet to her. He was gentle with her often, in many ways, something that ordinarily grated on her, but it felt different with him than with any of her past partners. It felt like he was asking her to be gentle with him in return. Idly, one of her hands stroked the uneven skin of his scarred cheek, and she silently promised that he could have that. Aloud, she promised, “You can have me any way you want,” pulling away from his mouth. He shuddered, and she trailed her lips across his face to nip at his ear.

“This is exactly what I want,” he whispered into her hair, ducking down to kiss her neck. Katara sighed, not even caring if he was about to leave a mark. Then his arms tightened around her again and he thrust up, hard and sudden. She tried to push back down onto him, but she couldn’t get out of his grip, so all she could do was take it as Zuko fucked her. Needy sounds kept being punched out of her, and with no other way to cope with the overwhelming desire, she dug her nails into his shoulders. “You feel so good,” he told her. “So good just letting me have you. Bet you wouldn’t do this for anyone else, huh?”

“No one else,” she said, knowing it was more than empty dirty talk. There was just something he did to her - a feeling of total safety but also total control that settled in her bones. It was a reassurance that they were equals in this arrangement, each of them desperate and demanding. She put on no pretenses for him - no acting less needy or more impressed or more mature or less fussy than she was - and yet he still looked at her like she was beautiful and fucked her hard and talked to her like she was really there. Katara didn’t mind giving up control to Zuko, because she knew that he only wanted it if it was given freely and that he would hand it over in a heartbeat if she truly wanted it back. Relaxing into him, leaning her weight on him as he grunted and moaned and pleasured them both, she thought to herself that this man was really something special.

Later, she would tell herself that she reacted in the way she did because of this - because she was feeling so vulnerable, her emotions all right at the surface of her, beading on her skin like sweat. It would seem less crazy to believe that she had just been one big raw nerve than to admit that her grip on her mental state had been precarious at best to begin with.

But regardless of the reason, what happened was that the patter of paws on the floor was lost beneath their sounds of pleasure, and without warning, the damn cat bit Katara right on the ass. Not hard enough to draw blood, or even to hurt more than a playful pinch, but it was distinctly an animal trying to gnaw on her behind, and she couldn’t fucking take it anymore. This time, there was no ambiguity to her reaction. Rage welled up in Katara, so sudden it felt like an animal response, and as she turned, she lunged towards cat-Tara as much as she was able, lips pulling back in a snarl, a loud _HISSSSS!_ jarringly loud in the sudden silence. With a terrified yowl, the cat puffed up, turned tail and streaked off, the jangle of the shower curtain promptly giving away her location.

Eyes blazing, she turned to Zuko, only to deflate when he startled back. Shock and maybe even a hint of fear were written plainly across his features, and she felt her heart crack right in two. Anger - with cat-Tara for interrupting them yet again, and with herself for scaring Zuko - and shame over losing her grip so completely, made tears spring to her eyes, too sudden and violent to hold them back. By the time she realized they were happening, one was already slipping out. Seeing it, Zuko’s face morphed into something sad and panicked, and suddenly his hands were cupping her face, fingers trying to wipe her cheeks clean as fast as the tears were falling. She tried to tell him not to bother, but when she opened her mouth, the only sound she could make was a loud, hiccuping sob. He understood though - of course he did, and he wrapped her up in a tight hug instead, rubbing her back.

“Why does she do this?” Katara asked, her voice still embarrassingly shaky.

“I don’t know.”

“I _hate_ her,” she said, her voice breaking. He hummed and pressed a kiss to her hair. A shuddering sob wracked her body again. Zuko’s breath caught, and Katara abruptly remembered that his dick was still inside her. Quick as she could, she got to her knees, and then scrambled out of his lap.

“I’m really sorry you had to see that. This is so not your problem.” Her throat started to get tight again, her vision blurring. Zuko got to his feet quickly, looking utterly ridiculous with his hair mussed as he quickly started to tug his jeans and underwear back up.

“It’s okay, really,” he promised, even though he was wincing a little as he tried to tuck his boner back into his pants. “Are you alright?”

She took a deep breath, exhaled, and then said, “I’ll be fine. I’m just really at the end of my rope here. I don’t think this” she motioned between the two of them “is going to happen tonight though.” In fact, she knew it definitely wasn’t. She had that horrible fragile feeling she got right after an ugly cry, and she could see a wet smear on his shoulder that was definitely tears and probably some snot. As bad as she felt sending him home like this, there was no way she was going to feel up to sex anytime tonight. Katara grabbed for the ends of her hair and started fiddling with them anxiously. Bending to retrieve his flannel shirt from the floor, Zuko held it out as an offering for her to cover herself.

She took it gratefully and wrapped it around herself. Holding his t-shirt, he looked uncertain for a moment before he said, “You know, I kinda just got here, so…” in his brief moment of awkward hesitation, Katara felt a stab of fear that what came next would shatter this fun thing they had. Maybe he would say he felt jerked around, or that she should call him when she had dealt with the cat thing and possibly gotten therapy. Instead he surprised her, as always, by knowing exactly what she needed. “I can fuck off if you want to be by yourself, but I didn’t make any other plans tonight, so...maybe we could just hang out? Get takeout or something?” Katara sighed happily and gave him a relieved smile. She honestly hadn’t been looking forward to the idea of being left alone with the object of her loathing, even though her sexy feelings had been pretty effectively quashed.

“That sounds great, actually.” He smiled at her.

“Cool. Uh, mind if I shower?” She shook her head. “Go for it. You know where the towels are?”

“Yeah. You pick the place for dinner, I’ll eat anything.”

Then before she could say anything more, he was leaning in for a kiss, and out of habit she tipped her face to meet him. It was sweet, just Zuko’s lips briefly, softly pressed to hers, his hand cupping her elbow as she rose up on her tiptoes. Too late, after he had already pulled away and left for the bathroom, she realized that this kiss was different from the others they had shared. It was not a precursor to sex, or a promise of sex to come at a later date. She was wearing his shirt, and he knew where she kepe her linens, and they had just had a very casual and not at all sexy kiss, and they were about to have dinner and _hang out_ even though she had already told him she did’t want to have sex tonight. This, she feared, was the beginning of the end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the thanks to ajstyling for beta-ing this chapter! I am a monster that loves adverbs and run-on sentences, and they deserve all the props for untangling those.

Katara needed to lie down. She left the living room, unable to handle the thought of being on the couch at that particular moment, but was halted as she passed the bedroom door, hearing Zuko’s voice.

“Listen, I’ve been rooting for you, but you really fucked this night up for all of us.” _He’s talking to the cat._ “So I’m gonna get in this shower, and if you bite my butt right now, that’s it - she’s gonna put you outside and I’m gonna let her.” _Tui and La, he is lecturing that horrible cat._ There was a tired-sounding sigh, and when his voice returned, it was softer. “What’s up with you, huh?”

She needed to scream. The soothing tone he was using on Tara was the same tone he had just used to calm her down, and she couldn’t quite tell what was more upsetting - the fact that he had talked to her like a nearly feral animal, or the fact that this voice was not for her alone. The sound of the shower curtain came again, and as Katara stood in the hallway trying to breathe deeply and unclench her jaw, she tried not to wonder if Zuko was finishing himself off in there. It was maddening, trying to imagine if a particular sound was a moan or a slick fist on his cock or just him washing himself. The idea of him coming right now was infuriating, but the idea of his face, his body in pleasure made her painfully aware of her own arousal cut short. She tried to visualize blowing her negativity into a white balloon and letting it go like Aang had tried to show her once. Maybe if she could calm down, she could go join Zuko in the shower and get off anyway.

It almost worked. She got her stomach to stop churning, her face to relax, and stepped closer to the door. But the sight of her shadow in the gap must’ve set off the damn cat, because she heard tiny claws start pleading for escape, and suddenly Katara had to storm across the hall and shove her face into a pillow before the scream wrenched itself free.

By the time she was done, she honestly felt a little light-headed. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants. The shower shut off. At the rustle of the curtain, she realized that in maybe a minute, Zuko was going to stroll out and expect her to have made a plan for dinner, and the fucking _cat_ was going to be following him - acting like she’d never done anything wrong in her entire life as usual.

She needed...a goddamn drink.

Zuko emerged from the bathroom to find her pouring two glasses of wine - one much fuller than the other - and scrolling through the menu of her favorite dumpling place. He raised his eyebrow but didn’t comment, simply took a glass and the phone when offered and added his order.

“Nice shower?” she asked, taking the phone back to finish the order. When she glanced up at him from under her lashes, he was watching her over the rim of his glass.

He swallowed, then with a sad sort of smile said, “Alright, but I’ve had better.” Unsure of what else to do, she grabbed her glass and took a gulp. Zuko laughed at her, pulling her into a one-armed hug. “Come on, let’s go watch something stupid.”

The movie he picked _was_ stupid, chosen seemingly at random, but making fun of it together was more fun than watching anything would be, so she wasn’t bothered. Their food was good too - hot, salty, and sweet, washed down with the rest of the bottle of wine Katara had opened. After, she retrieved another from the cabinet over the fridge, something pink and sweet.

“Oh so we’re _really_ doing this,” he said, leaning forward to let her refill his glass. She poured more into her own and clinked their glasses together.

“Oh yeah, drink up bitch, it’s my turn to pick the movie.” Zuko threw his head back and laughed, and Katara wedged herself back against his side on the couch.

Her movie choice was a terrible romantic comedy, which they turned into a drinking game, which then devolved into quickly polishing off the second bottle of wine while loudly heckling the television. When the wine ran out, Katara found herself feeling warm and loose, curled up and falling asleep with her head on Zuko’s chest. As her eyelids drooped, she felt Zuko’s head fall to rest on top of hers and his breathing deepen. Her swimmy drunk brain let her think just enough to realize that they were about to fall asleep in a horribly uncomfortable position on her couch, and she wriggled out of his grasp, stumbling a little as she got to her feet and yawned. The sudden drop of his head jolted Zuko awake, and he blinked up at her with bleary eyes, his t-shirt mussed from her leaning on it.

“Hey,” he croaked, then swallowed and said, “Did I fall asleep?”

“Almost. It’s late.” Zuko squinted to make out the time on the oven across the room.

“Yeah, I should probably get going.” He stood, equally unsteady from wine and exhaustion as Katara, and she grabbed his arm.

“Just stay,” she told him, and he nodded without question, shuffling after her as she led him to the bedroom. Zuko shimmied out of his jeans and laid them over the back of Katara’s desk chair while she pulled back the covers and got into bed. He climbed in on the other side, but they met in the middle. Their bodies tangled gradually as Zuko draped an arm across waist, she tossed a leg over his hip, he tangled her other leg up with his, and she pillowed her head on his chest again. They were too tired to talk, so Katara settled in and closed her eyes, drifting off to the feel of his fingers playing with her hair and the smell of his laundry detergent in her nose.

* * *

Katara woke up alone, her head aching enough to be annoying. Upon recalling that the reason for said hangover was her getting wine drunk and inviting Zuko to sleep over, she couldn’t decide if she was more upset to find him gone or relieved to not be confronted with his sleepy - or worse, _still sleeping_ \- face first thing in the morning. Rolling over, she found a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers sitting on her nightstand, which she took gratefully. He was a good friend, even if it seemed like he was pretty clearly not interested in being a boyfriend.

This was good, though, Katara thought to herself, padding out to the empty living area and into the bathroom. It was a sign - as clear a sign as she could ask for without actually taking the risk of asking, and now she knew where they stood. She could snuff out whatever tiny hint of a crush she _maybe_ was starting to form and focus on the fact that Zuko was a wonderful friend with a nice dick. She was lucky for both of those reasons, no need to push it. Brushing her teeth made her feel more human. Shuffling into the kitchen, she scooped some kibble into Cat-Tara’s bowl, rolling her eyes as the cat almost took her out at the ankles while racing to get her breakfast.

Back in her room, Katara picked up her phone and texted Sokka.

🔪Sokka   
  
SOKKA   
  
I SWEAR   
  
IF YOU DO NOT GET RID OF THIS CAT   
  
I WILL COME OVER AND FEED YOU YOUR OWN DIRTY SOCKS   
  
Damn Katara tell us how you really feel   
  
SHE BIT MY BUTT   
  
MID-FUCK   
  
EW   
  
NO   
  
OOGIES   
  
I HISSED AT THE CAT   
  
WHILE HE WAS STILL /IN/ ME   
  
WE HAD TO STOP   
  
DO YOU UNDERSTAND   
  
IM GONNA SNAP   
  
Okay MAJOR tmi there pls never tell me that much ever again   
  
But I'm legit sorry   
  
I'll handle the cat thing   
  
For real   
  
Like asap   
  
You'd better.   
  


A knock at the door kept her from tacking on any additional threats to really send the point home. She checked the peephole and was surprised to find Zuko standing in the hallway.

“Hey, sorry, did I wake you up?” he asked when she answered. She shook her head.

“Uh, no. My head did. I actually wasn’t expecting you back.” He looked uncertain all of a sudden, shifting nervously on his feet.

“Oh. I can go if you want, but I -”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, opening the door to let him in. “Just- You didn’t _have_ to come back. If you didn’t want to. I know I sleep late, so you obviously didn’t need to sit around waiting for me to let you out.”

“I wanted to come back,” he said, and held up a tray of coffee cups and a couple of bags as he stepped inside. “And I come bearing gifts.”

Zuko deposited the cups and bags on Katara’s little table. She took one of the cups, and saw that it was from The Jasmine Dragon. Popping the lid off to peek inside, she got a whiff of chai latte, and moaned a little.

“Thought you could use that. I’m not much for tea,” he explained as he started pulling tea cakes in a bunch of different colors and shapes out of one of the bags, “but this was my go-to in college.”

“Hey,” she said, getting his attention. “I actually don’t know what you studied.”

“Business,” he said with a grimace.

“I take it that face is why you opted to work in the tea shop?” He shrugged.

“Sort of. By the time I graduated, I knew I didn’t want to work for my father. Or any of his evil corporate friends.” He sat down across from Katara and pulled a little cake topped with sesame seeds towards himself. “But I didn’t really know what else I wanted to do . I minored in literature and drama, but I’m not much of a writer or an actor. Uncle needed help with the shop, though. Mostly paperwork stuff, spirits know he’s got the hospitality part covered - so that’s what I’ve been doing for the past couple years.”

“Do you like it?” Katara asked, choosing a tea cake for herself and taking a sip of her drink. It was creamy and spicy, with just the right amount of sweet, bringing a smile to her lips.

“Yeah, I do actually. And I mean, Uncle’s the best person I know. If anyone deserves to have their legacy live on…” Zuko’s voice was fond, if a little sad. “I think I could be happy with that being my life’s work.” Katara was embarrassed to find that she had to take another sip of her latte to get rid of the tightness in her throat.

“Sounds like a pretty good life to me,” she agreed, picking up the tea cake and biting into it. It was spongy and sweet, tasting of passionfruit. Zuko smiled and reached for the other bag.

“I brought other gifts too. The reason I actually went out.” The plastic rustled, and there was a jingling sound, and then Zuko was holding up a cat toy.

“You bought presents for the monster?”

“I did research.”

“She has toys. And she doesn’t deserve presents. Need I remind you how we got here?” Gesturing broadly to indicate their current situation, Katara realized that particular moment was not a shining example of how egregiously wronged she had been by Cat-Tara. As awful as the moment had been last night, right then she was sitting across from a boy who made her laugh and brought her breakfast, wearing his very soft shirt, in the aftermath of a night where she laughed so hard her sides had hurt. Zuko was undeterred.

“I woke up early and started googling about how to deal with the biting thing, and the internet pretty much unanimously agreed that she’s just bored.”

“So she’s pissed that I don’t play with her and this is elaborate revenge?” Katara felt oddly validated by the thought that the cat really was out to get her.

“No,” Zuko laughed, then laughed harder when Karata made a face at him. “When we’re, uh, you know…”

“Fucking.”

“Yeah, that.” He was blushing a little, and it was so unfair the way he could run his dirty mouth in the heat of the moment only to turn so shy in the light of day. “Uh, so...she thinks _we’re_ playing, and…” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely, but Katara hears the end of his sentence loud and clear. Her mouth falls open.

“She’s trying to _join in_?”

“In a manner of speaking? All the rolling around and biting, I mean...You’ve gotta admit, it does get a little Animal Planet in here sometimes.” Katara snorted, caught herself for half a breath, and then dissolved fully into hysterical laughter, her head down on the table as she struggled for breath. Over her heartbeat pounding in her ears, she could hear Zuko laughing too.

“So,” Katara said, her voice still a little breathy, “we play with her and she’ll leave us alone?”

“That’s the theory.” Her eyes scanned him up and down, taking in the sight of him a little rumpled, rosy-cheeked from the walk and brisk air.

“We should test it,” she decided, and he nodded. “Now.” His eyes widened, and she tried to project the sudden longing she felt flickering to life in her chest. The message was clearly received, because he reached back into the bag and pulled out a laser pointer and something yellow.

“The duck is filled with catnip. If we run her around and then give her this, we should be in the clear.” Katara took the offered laser pointer, letting her fingers linger on the palm of his hand.

“I like the way you think.”

Cat-Tara, who was lounging in her tree and watching the bags be unpacked with interest, sprang to attention as soon as the little red dot flickered to life on the carpet. She pulled herself into a crouch and, as Zuko guided Katara’s hand to wiggle the light teasingly, the cat flicked her tail, following it with her eyes.

“Do you think she doesn’t like it?” Katara asked.

“Oh no, you’ll see.”

And she did. The second she faltered in her movements, Cat-Tara pounced like the perfectly-designed killing machine she was, trapping the tiny light under her paws - or so she thought, only to have the dot appear projected on top of her little white mittens. Her paws flailed to catch it, but Zuko waved at Katara to move it. The light lurched a few feet to the side, and Tara paused, studying it again, getting into position, and then hurling herself. Katara sat down on the floor, Zuko next to her, and made the cat hop around the living room, and then run in circles, giggling as she watched her scramble. It was all the energy of her zoomies put to an impossible and stupid task, and Katara felt a little maniacal thrill run through her at the knowledge that the cat would never catch the dot, that she could thwart her again and again. Of course, Zuko knew her too well, and shot her a sly smile.

“You’re _really_ enjoying messing with this cat.”

“You bet your ass I am.”

“The whole point of this is to no longer have to gamble any of my parts.”

“Ah, I see - so this was about you and not my fragile mental state. I get how it is.”

“I’m very much concerned about your mental state.”

“Mmmhmm sure.” She swayed into him, knocking their shoulders together, and was rewarded with a bright smile. Zuko held up the duck and said,

“Turn off the laser.” Katara did.

“Now watch this.” Cat-Tara was looking about wildly for her prey, and finally gave a frustrated yowl at the ceiling. That was the moment Zuko decided to toss the duck into the middle of the room. Tara started and shied away at first, but then approached cautiously, tail swishing in the air as she sniffed experimentally in the direction of the duck. She froze. Sniffed again. And then flopped herself face first onto the duck, purring and pulling it closer with her claws.

“And that should do it,” Zuko said, smirking at Katara’s stunned expression.

“Holy shit.”

“So. What would make your mental state less fragile?”

Katara pondered a moment before deciding, “A shower,” and unfolded her legs so that she could kneel next to Zuko and press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you,” she said softly, her lips still brushing his skin. He sighed, and she smiled, kissed him again just by his ear.

The hinge of his jaw -

The point of his chin -

The delicate skin of his throat -

“I thought you were gonna go shower?” The strangled sound of his voice from a few kisses sent a hot rush to her core.

“Come with me,” she breathed against the crook of his neck. He shivered.

“Okay,” he said on a shaky exhale. Excitement fluttered in Katara’s stomach, and heat spread down her thighs. She had to restrain herself to keep to a walk as she led him by the hand to her bathroom.

She let go of him once the door was closed, leaning into the tub to get the water heating up, and then faced him. His shirt was already off, twisting in his hands as he bit his lip, like he wasn’t quite sure if he’d been meant to get undressed yet.

“I really hope this works,” she said, breathless as she took in the familiar ridges of his muscles, the scattered freckles - eleven: she’d counted - the dusting of dark hair low on his stomach.

“Me too.” It was unfair of him to look at her with so much _want_ plain on his face when she was still swimming in his flannel and her sweats, so she kicked off the pants to show off her legs. That’s not where his eyes went though. They lingered on the shirt, as if realizing all over again that she hadn’t taken it off since he’d given it to her. He stepped forward, reaching for her, and the bathroom wasn’t really big enough for her to take a whole step towards him, but she leaned in, wrapped her arms around his waist as he silently and studiously went to work undoing the buttons, eyes tracing each new inch of exposed skin.

While he worked, she absently dragged her fingertips over the warm skin of his sides. Reaching the last button, Zuko took a beat to admire Katara half out of his clothing before pulling her into a kiss and sliding the fabric down her arms to flutter to the floor. Katara didn’t think she could ever get tired of Zuko’s mouth, and the lingering sweetness of the cake from earlier made her heart swell as his lips parted under hers. It hadn’t even been that long since she’d last tasted him - less than a full 24 hours - and yet she found herself wondering how she had managed even that.

The bathroom had started to fill up with steam, the water finally hot, and Katara nudged Zuko away enough for her to tip her forehead against his and say,

“We should get in before the water’s gone.”

“Right,” he breathed, and then opened his eyes. The way he never seemed to get used to the sight of her naked made Katara feel special, and powerful, in a way nothing else ever had.

“I think you’re overdressed,” she pointed out, letting her hands fall to the button of his jeans. He kissed his way from her mouth to her ear as she got him out of the last of his clothes, and she smiled at the little hitch in his breath when she gave his ass a squeeze. “Much better.”

Zuko reached around her and pulled back the shower curtain. She pulled away to step carefully under the water, him right behind her, closing them into the warm embrace of steam. Katara nudged him under the water, just so that she could see the streams of it run over his body. They had undressed each other a hundred times, but the sight of him shining wet and half hard, hair slicked back out of his face…

“You look like one of those old gangster movies,” she said, reaching up to cup his face. “The ones with lots of hair gel and fancy suits.” Zuko’s hands went to her hips, and Katara allowed him to trade places with her, letting him go as he guided her to tip her head back into the spray. The hot water soaked her hair, making it heavy and running down her back, tickling a little as drops snaked their way down her breasts and stomach.

“And you look like all those legends of spirits luring sailors overboard.” His eyes were heated, the intensity of his gaze saying _I would let you drown me_ , and Katara wanted to.

“Give me your hand,” she said, and Zuko did. Grabbing the bottle of shampoo, she squeezed the right amount into his palm and turned her back to him. “Wash my hair for me?” she asked, looking up at him over her shoulder. He blinked at her a little dopily.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, and started rubbing his hands together before reaching out to start at her scalp. His fingers were sure, and pressed firmly into her skin, digging in, his thumbs rubbing in small circles at the base of her skull, relieving some of the tension.

All too soon, he was turning her around to face him again, and leaning her head back again. As she went under, one of his hands came up to keep water from running into her eyes. She was pretty sure the last time someone had done that was her mother when she was small, and she found herself stunned yet again at the care he took with her.

“You’re good at this,” she said, as the fingers of his free hand slowly worked the suds from her hair.

“I used to have long hair,” he said. Katara opened her eyes and considered his face for a moment, trying to picture it. With his hair wet and pushed back, it was easy to imagine that it kept going down his back.

“I bet that looked nice.” Zuko made a pained expression.

“The high school phoenix tail phase was perhaps the biggest mistake I have ever made. I ended up cutting it off right before senior year started because my sister made fun of me so bad.”

“What are siblings for if not gentle bullying?”

“It wasn’t very gentle,” he admitted, his eyes going a little tight at the corners, like he was putting a concerted effort into not letting the mood drop. She wanted to ask why he hadn’t ever mentioned having a sister before - or why he didn’t talk about his parents much either come to think of it - but he clearly didn’t want a repeat of their heart to heart over the phone. Katara was selfish enough to admit that she didn’t want to change the trajectory of the moment either, so she reached up and gripped his hair tight, using it to pull him down to her and said,

“Maybe you should grow it out again. Would give me more to hold onto.” She twisted her hand, pulling the way he liked. Zuko gasped, and she took advantage of his parted lips, joining them at the mouth.

They washed each other’s bodies, groping and kissing as the scent of coconut filled the air. It made everything warm and sweet, and Katara found herself straying away from his lips to kiss his skin as the soap got rinsed away. She trailed behind the bubbles, slipping down the hollow of his throat, skimming his collarbones, tracing his sternum, catching in the dip of his bellybutton. His cock, hard and neglected, bumped her chin as she knelt before him, and Zuko sucked in a quick breath at the unexpected contact.

“Katara,” he choked.

“You’ve been very patient,” Katara told him. “I’m not going to make you wait anymore,” she said, reaching to smooth her hands over his thighs. She pressed her hands into his hip bones until he backed up. He tensed when his back made contact with the cold tile of the shower wall, but relaxed again when she started scattering kisses on his stomach and thighs.

True to her word, she didn’t tease him. As soon as he was settled, she took as much of him as she could fit into her mouth, her hand stroking what she couldn’t. The taste of him, clean and wet, was a contrast to the heat he gave off and the thickness of him made her jaw strain. It was a kind of duality she had gotten used to with Zuko over the past months, the way he would look at her so softly but push her body to new limits of pleasure again and again. He gave passionately, but seemed so reluctant to take in return that it made her want to offer herself up to him in any way she could think of. His hips shifted under her hands, struggling to remain still under her ministrations, and she found herself tugging him closer, encouraging him to thrust gradually deeper, until he was pushing against the back of her throat. She took measured breaths, trying to stay relaxed for him as his hands in her hair and her hands on his hips worked in tandem.

“You feel too good,” he said, breathless as she swallowed around him. He sighed her name, fingers clenching and unclenching in her hair, like he was trying to force himself not to hold on too tightly for fear of reprimand. Katara’s hand came up to hold his against the back of her head, and he gasped, “ _Fuck_.” His eyes were wide and disbelieving, but she could see the dark shadows in them too. Hunger was written plainly across his face, and it stirred the same feeling in her, even as she could feel the tenderness of her knees from being pressed against the bottom of the tub. She reached back and gripped his ass, letting her nails dig in, and the sharp prick of pain had him moaning, head falling back against the tile and his hands clutching at her. Tasting precum on the back of her tongue, Katara sped up her movements. The wet sound of her mouth on his cock rose above the pouring water from the showerhead, and Zuko’s breath hitched. “Stop stop stop,” he breathed, pulling at her hair a little. She backed off, letting him fall from her mouth, and looked up, concerned. The twisted expression on his face was hard to read, so she asked,

“Are you okay?” He pet her hair absently, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

“I’m great,” he said. “But I’m about to cum and I don’t want this to be over.” She smirked up at him, fully aware of how she must look to him, wet,naked, and on her knees just for him.

“Oh this is far from over,” she told him. “But I still want to taste you.” He closed his eyes again, tightly enough that his nose wrinkled a little. It was an oddly cute expression for the situation. “Is that alright?” she asked, running her open palm up and down his leg, soothing him. He couldn’t quite manage words, but he nodded vigorously, and she laughed.

“Alright. You just relax, okay?” She kissed his leg. “Let go whenever you’re ready.” Another kiss at the crease of his hip. “Let me do this for you.” He nodded again, frantically, and she took him back into her mouth, letting her eyes close as she relaxed back into the previous rhythm, feeling the muscles of his legs twitch under her fingers like strings of an instrument. His breathing grew heavier, fingers twitching against her scalp, until all she could hear was the rush of water and panting. All she could feel was his cock pressing hard against her throat as she worked him, his blunt nails against her scalp, and her aching knees.

“Katara,” he said, voice ragged, and she felt her heart leap, knowing he was about to tip over the edge. She kept steady for a moment longer. Her only warning before his release was a stifled cry and a sharp tug at her hair. She pulled back, reaching up to stroke him through it as his cum hit her lips, her chin, and ran down her throat. It was a mess - one she never would’ve allowed him in the bedroom, but they were already in the shower, so who cared?

Zuko’s eyes fluttered open, widening slightly at the sight of her. The apology on his lips was in the set of his brow too, so she made sure to smile up at him, even as she turned into the spray enough to rinse off.

“You -” he said, breathless.

“Hm?” She cocked her head, smiling innocently. Zuko’s knees buckled, then unbuckled and gave out, leaving him to slide down the shower wall until he sat before Katara, the water beating down around them both. He reached for her, pulling her between his legs and into a kiss.

“You’re incredible,” he sighed. She laughed.

“That’s sort of how I feel about you most of the time, you know?” His cheeks flushed at the compliment, but he didn’t protest, which she considered either progress or an indication of how thoroughly fucked he felt.

“I can’t really feel my legs,” he said. She decided that it might be more of the latter. They’d work on the acceptance thing.

“Then stay there,” she told him, squeezing his shoulders as she leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be done in a few.”

Katara stood and reached for her conditioner, acutely aware of Zuko’s hazy eyes on her as she smoothed it through her hair. Twisting her hair out of the way, she propped a foot on the edge of the tub next to his arm and started lathering up her leg. His gaze followed the path of her hands, up and up. Waving her razor, she grinned at him.

“Wow, guys really _can_ find _anything_ hot, can’t they?”

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: everything about you makes me horny.” He said it like a joke, but the way his eyes kept flicking down to the apex of her thighs gave him away.

“You have no shame.” Katara bent towards him and started shaving, Zuko’s eyes tracing the stripes of smooth brown skin left behind.

“Absolutely none,” he agreed, hand coming up to hold her ankle as she finished with her calf. As she carefully got the back of her knee, both of Zuko’s hands came up to circle her leg. His fingers pressed into muscle, and started massaging. Katara let out a small satisfied groan as a knot she hadn’t even noticed before sent a sharp pain through her before coming undone under Zuko’s careful attention. She switched legs, and he did the same, and Katara felt like her insides had turned to caramel, pouring through her warm, sweet, and slow. The wetness between her legs was from more than just the shower by the time she was done shaving, and when she tipped her head back to rinse out the conditioner, Zuko got to his knees, slipping for a second before he reached for her thighs.

Her breath caught in her chest as his nose pressed into coarse curls and his fingers started kneading the muscles of her ass and thighs. He nudged until she spread her feet what distance she could, and when she complied, he tilted his chin and probed with his tongue until it slipped across her clit and between her outer lips. Gasping, she clenched her own hair in a fist, pulling instead of wringing out more water as she had intended. The sharp sensation was unexpectedly pleasurable, especially when Zuko went back to flick his tongue over her clit.

It was good, but just a tease. He couldn’t get the right angle, couldn’t open her up enough to really get at her.

He kept pulling until she realized he was trying to get her to put one of her feet up on the lip of the tub.

“I’m gonna fall,” she said, laughing breathlessly. Looking up at her, completely soaked, with his eyes dark and focused entirely on her, Zuko was beautiful.

“Trust me?” he asked. And as she did whenever Zuko asked for her trust, she gave it. Nodding, Katara let him move her leg, shifting her thigh onto his shoulder, resting her foot on the cold tub, and letting him swing her knee out to give him better access to her. He resumed his task, water running down her body and into his mouth as he licked and sucked at her wet opening before returning to her clit. One hand on his shoulder for balance and the other in his hair, she curved her body over him. She felt herself climbing higher and higher, wanting to arch her back and press her hips forward into the stimulation, but as she clenched around nothing, the empty feeling left her just shy of what she needed. “Zuko, wait,” she panted. His mouth withdrew slowly, careful not to jostle her.

“You okay?” he asked, equally breathless. She nodded, but lifted her leg off his shoulder and turned to shut off the shower.

“We need to move though.”

“Alright,” he said, still looking up at her from his knees, dripping and starting to shiver a little.

Katara pulled back the shower curtain, bracing herself for the cooler air of the bathroom. Steam hung thick in the air, but the temperature change still made her nipples tighten and goosebumps crop up on her arms. She offered a hand to Zuko and helped him up, both of them stepping out onto the bath mat. It sent a strange flutter through her stomach to see him easily reach for the towel he’d used the night before, hanging beside hers on a hook like it belonged there. Their eyes met as she wrung out her hair and he toweled off, a grin spreading over his face and making her smile in reply.

Dry enough to feel the heat of the room settling thick on her skin and in her lungs, Katara reached for Zuko again, and he stepped to meet her, his hands settling on her waist. He was even warmer than usual as their bodies pressed together, melting into a kiss that set Katara’s pulse racing again. The glide of his palms up her ribs and down to her ass had her rubbing her thighs together, eager to pick back up where they left off. Clearly Zuko agreed, because he backed her up against her vanity, cold countertop pressing into her back and making her gasp into their kiss. His tongue slipped into her mouth and Katara hummed, pleased as their lips met and parted over and over, hands roaming shoulders and chests. Zuko pulled away from the kiss to start working a mark into the soft space between Katara’s neck and shoulder, reaching down to get his hands on her thighs. His fingers dug in, and Katara bit down on a startled shriek when he lifted her, plopping her down on the vanity and spreading her legs.

His mouth slipped down and down her sternum, skipping over to tug at a nipple with his teeth. “Oh!” she cried, eyes flying open in surprise. With him no longer blocking her view as he slid down to his knees, she could see the fog slowly clearing from the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. From her seat atop the vanity, she had a perfect view of them. Katara could see herself, legs spread, chest heaving. Zuko’s head was buried between her legs, as he bore the weight of her thighs on his shoulders and started pressing kisses to her clit, fingers coming up to play with her pussy, offering just the barest hints of what she wanted. She gripped his hair in one hand, trying to direct him to give her more pressure and friction. Her eyes, riveted to the mirror, drank in the sight of muscles in his back and shoulders shifting as he followed her silent commands.

“Oh, your mouth,” she sighed when he licked back over her clit, and _finally_ let two fingers slide all the way into her pussy. His tongue stroked quick circles, and the curl and press of his fingers inside of her heightened the pressure building low in her stomach. Katara dragged her nails over his scalp in the way that made him shudder, his breath stuttering against her core. “It’s the best damn thing. So good.” He moaned, and the vibrations of the sound reverberated through her until the echo spilled from her mouth.

She tightened her hand into a fist and yanked until he looked up and met her eyes. She reached down and cups his cheek with her other hand, brushing her thumb over the edge of his scar. “Good boy,” she murmured, and Zuko’s eyes fluttered closed, a helpless whine falling from his lips. Katara’s hand drifted away from his cheek and she started touching herself, gripping his fingers tight within her as her own fingers slipped over her slick clit. It felt like she could come just looking at his face, all messy and wet - her favorite sight. “You make me feel so good. My good boy.” Her voice broke, her orgasm hovering at the edges of her awareness. She lightened her touch to featherlight brushes, keeping herself hovering near climax, wanting to keep the heady feeling of this pleasure and Zuko’s rapturous expression for as long as she could.

“Please,” he said, at last, his voice hoarse. She released his hair and his head started to fall forward towards her pussy, but she just combed her fingers through again and caught him, holding tight. Another high-pitched sound leaves Zuko.

“Please what? Tell me what you want, sweet boy.” With her thighs still resting on his shoulders, she could feel the shiver that ran through him at her words.

“Please let me taste you.” She smiled and released him.

“Okay.” He dove back in enthusiastically. It only took seconds before she was falling over the edge, his name a plea on her lips as she held him close, letting the shockwaves ripple through her. Zuko kept going, even as her orgasm faded into oversensitivity, making her gasp and flinch at the lingering jolts of pleasure as he licked up her release.

“That never gets old,” he sighed, pressing a messy, smiling kiss to her inner thigh. Katara laughed, a little tired and a little hysterical, leaning back to rest her head on the medicine cabinet behind her. She ruffled Zuko’s hair, and he got to his feet, running his hands up and down her thighs.

“Come here,” she said, pulling him down for a kiss, her hands smoothing over his cheeks. One hand slipped down to his neck, her thumb resting against his throat and tracking his pulse. As their lips slid together, she felt his heart slow from a thundering rush to its’ familiar steady thrum.

Their kiss broke open on a smile, their foreheads resting together as they breathed. “Remember what I said earlier?” she asked. “About you being incredible?”

“Hm?” He tucked his head against her neck, leaning some of his weight on her, arms wrapping around her waist to hold her close. Katara let one hand rest on the back of his neck, stroking through his drying hair, and the other smoothed up and down his spine.

“You just proved me right again.” He mumbled something that sounded like _shut up_ , and she squeezed him with all of her limbs like an octopus. “Nope, I’m gonna say nice things about you whether you like it or not.”

“This is a dictatorship,” he said, and the sound of Suki’s words in his mouth made her laugh, and also think that her school friends would really like Zuko. That sent an odd feeling through her, something caught between anxiety and excitement as she had a flash of them sitting together on her couch with all of her friends scattered around for game night.

Shaking it off, she tried to keep her voice steady as she kept petting him and said, “But I’m such a benevolent dictator.” His shoulders shook a little in silent laughter, his breath fanning out over her skin, and with a groan, he released her and stepped back.

“And as much as it pleases me to serve you…”

“Nooo,” she whined, but closed her legs and hopped down as Zuko stooped to pick up their towels and re-hang them.

“The afternoon shift calls.” He picked up his clothes and started getting dressed again.

“Work is stupid,” she said, but took her sweatpants from his hand when they were offered.

“But the people demand their hot leaf juice,” he lamented, zipping up his jeans. “Trust me, I would much rather stay here than go and spend eight hours with Uncle asking why I smell like a girl.” Katara laughed, then realized the shirt she had worn into the bathroom was technically his and wondered if she should give it back. She stood for a moment with it held indecisively in her hands before he said, “I’ll get it next time,” and bent to kiss her forehead. Closing her eyes, she leaned into the warm contact ever so slightly. The flannel unravelled from her grip and she shook it out before shrugging it back on and buttoning it enough to keep it closed.

With his hand on the knob of the bathroom door, Zuko paused, and she could see her own reluctance mirrored in him. Neither of them particularly wanted to open the door and let the cool air of the rest of the apartment truly disperse the mood, but with bittersweet smiles on their faces, Katara cocked her head and he turned the knob. As they passed the living room, they saw Cat-Tara still rubbing her face on the catnip duck, which was thoroughly soaked with drool.

“I think we found the solution,” Zuko said, smiling smugly.

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll start calling you the Pussy Whisperer,” Katara said, rolling her eyes, but grinning right back at him. He snorted a little when he laughed, and she shoved his shoulder, pushing him towards the front door despite the fact that it was the last thing she wanted to be doing.

“Expect frequent updates on the mockery,” he warned her in the doorway. “I plan to share my pain.”

“Oh please do. If I can’t come to the tea shop and hear it myself, I want to at least get the greatest hits of your uncle roasting you.” Shaking his head, Zuko leaned in and Katara rose up on her bare tip toes to meet him for a soft kiss, his hand barely touching the small of her back. And then he was taking one step back, and then another, eyes not leaving hers. He held up his hand in an awkward little wave before jamming both of them deep in his front pockets, and she liked to think that it was to keep them from reaching to take hold of her again.

“Bye Zuko,” she said, waving back.

He didn’t move, just stood in the middle of the hallway looking at her as he said, “Bye Katara.” She shut the door.

There was total silence for a beat. When she heard the soft sound of his steps walking away, she forced herself to push away from the door and return to the living room. She sat down on the couch and stared at her reflection in the black television screen for a stretch of minutes until Cat-Tara’s inquisitive _meow_ drew her out of her stupor.

“What’s up?” she asked, absently. The cat meowed again, and Katara looked at her pacing in front of the couch. “It’s not time to eat again,” she said. The pacing continued, and Katara noticed the laser pointer still sitting on the side table. Reaching for it, she tried to gauge if she was reading the signals right. “Do you...want to play again?” The response was inconclusive, but when Katara pressed the button and aimed the dot in front of Cat-Tara, the cat froze. “Got your attention, huh? Okay, here we go.”


	5. Chapter 5

🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
**Saturday** 9:32 PM  
Hey, sorry I’ve been MIA this week  
  
My history prof is killing me, he’s like the biggest dick in the world  
  
It's fine  
  
Wouldn't expect you to handle more than one big dick at a time  
  
EYYYYY 😎  
  
Sometimes I’m funny  
  
I’m fucking wheezing  
  


Suki 💚😈💚  
  
**Saturday** 9:40 PM  
...are you okay??  
  
I’m fine  
  


👅All Hoes No Bros 🍑  
  
**Saturday** 9:42 PM  
Toph  
What’s wrong with Katara  
  
Why are you making that noise?  
  
Suki  
She’s laughing  
  
At something that isn’t us  
  
So you know what that means…  
  
🍆  
  
You don’t know that  
  
I could be texting Gran-Gran  
  
Gran-Gran is very funny  
  
Suki  
Gran-Gran is a fucking legend but you’d tell us what was so funny if it was Gran-Gran.  
  
Toph  
Apparently making a dick appointment is pretty entertaining  
  
You know, for someone you “don’t really talk to much”  
  
We’re friends!  
  
Do you really think I’d still be fucking him if he was entirely humorless?  
  
Suki  
Yes  
  
Toph  
Duh  
  
Suki  
Jet wasn't funny  
  
Toph  
Worse  
  
He was a pretentious asshat  
  
And frankly it sounds like the d is better with this dude too so…  
  
Yeah, personality not needed  
  
Suki  
It’s a nice bonus though  
  
Toph  
Emphasis on BONE  
  
You guys aren’t funny and I’m leaving  
  
*blows raspberry*  
  
Suki  
Not as funny as ~💖Zuko💖~ apparently 👀  
  


🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
**Saturday** 9:40 PM  
Don’t die  
  
**Saturday** 9:53 PM  
I’m not dead, my friends are just bullying me  
  
Some friends  
  
Ugh those jerks are the worst  
  
I mean I love them, but you can never tell them bc those smug bitches will never let it go  
  
Secret’s safe with me  
  
So um...what are the chances you can come by after I kick these terrible people out of my apartment?  
  
😭  
  
Sadly the chances are none  
  
I have to fly back to Caldera City tonight  
  
There’s some family shit I have to go deal with  
  
I hope it’s not anything too bad?  
  
Well, it necessitates speaking to my father, so it’s actually pretty fucking horrible.  
  
Words can’t properly convey how much I would rather be with you than ANY of my relatives right now.  
  
Except for Lu Ten.  
  
Lu Ten gets to be dead, lucky bastard.  
  
HAHAHA  
  
Fuck that’s messed up  
  
I’m sorry 😟  
  
Do you want to talk about it?  
  
Not really  
  
I still have to finish work and pack and then, you know, make myself actually get on the plane  
  
That’s totally fair  
  


He made excuses about having to get back to work after that, and Katara tried not to let it bother her. She tried to remind herself that he had made it pretty clear that he wasn’t upset with _her_ , just upset broadly with his family, but it still stung a little that he wanted her to stop texting him. For months now, Zuko had been the one starting most of their conversations, was always the one to make the trip to her apartment, fucked her like he was begging her to keep him. It leaves a bitter taste in her mouth to know that she is going to have to keep on missing him for some unknown stretch of days. She tried to tell herself that there wasn’t a separate sting that came from him not wanting to confide in her.

She wasn’t able to dwell on it long, because Toph kicked her in the shin and told her to “Roll the fucking dice already!”

“Sorry,” she said, taking a swig of wine and complying. Suki eyed her, and her phone vibrated, but Katara didn’t want to explain what had suddenly happened to her good mood, so she made an ill-advised trade with Sokka, and pressed the dice into Toph’s hand. 

Over the next few days, Zuko didn’t text her. When Friday rolled around and she still hadn’t heard if he was back or how things were going, she was walking the line between _hurt_ and _worried_. Katara spent a lot of time playing with the cat in his absence, running her around with the laser pointer and waving sticks of trailing ribbons in her face until she flopped on her back and refused to hunt anymore. Then she googled if you can train cats to do tricks and wasted most of the evening trying to convince cat-Tara to sit and roll over on command. When the cat lost interest and climbed up into her tree for a nap, Katara turned to her phone and once again looked to see if Zuko had messaged her. She had to scroll down her conversations to find him. 

Just above where her last goodbye sat was a blue dot marking a dutifully ignored text from Suki. She wasn’t avoiding Suki exactly. They had spoken every day like normal, in the group chat and the DMs of several forms of social media, but they both knew exactly what conversation she was dodging. Because Suki was the best best friend ever and understood that Katara was a big girl who could dig her own grave, she didn’t chase her down. They both knew the time would come, and now having driven away the tentative ally of Cat-Tara, she had to finally face the music.

Suki 💚😈💚  
  
**Saturday** 10:20 PM  
What did he say?  
  
**Friday** 7:34 PM  
Nothing  
  
Since game night  
  
That’s the problem  
  


Katara expected that she would have to wait a little while for Suki to be free to have a conversation, but her phone vibrated with a response almost immediately.

Suki 💚😈💚  
  
You were in a mood on game night too though, so he didn’t just drop off the face of the earth  
  
Did you guys have a fight?  
  
What sort of fight does one have with a fuck buddy anyway?  
  
It wasn’t a fight  
  
He just said he couldn’t hang out because he had to fly home and deal with some awful family stuff  
  
I asked if he wanted to talk about it, TRYING to be a good friend and he totally shut me down  
  
Like not in an “I don’t want to talk about this” way but like in a “I want you to stop texting me” way  
  
Did he SAY that he didn’t want you to text him?  
  
He might as well have  
  
After he said he didn’t want to get into it he totally blew me off  
  
Katara  
  
...What?  
  
Have you seriously been freaking out over this all week?  
  
Well I wouldn’t have if he’d just text me, but it’s been radio silence, what am I supposed to think?  
  
That he actually is dealing with some horrible stuff that he doesn’t want to talk about?  
  
And that your relationship is entirely based on sex and having fun?  
  
Most people in your situation don’t want to deal with baggage  
  
He’s probably just having a bad time and trying not to put that on you  
  
We’ve talked about real shit before though  
  
You have?  
  
That's a different story  
  
I mean not like in a ton of depth, but he knows my mom is dead  
  
No details or anything, but  
  
And he’s seen me at some...tense times  
  
If he needed someone to talk to, I’d listen  
  
If he needed someone to talk to, I’d listen  
  
You know there’s a word for someone that you fuck AND tell about your problems  
  
And I’m pretty sure it’s a word you didn’t want anywhere near you  
  
If you’re rethinking that stance, you should maybe talk to him about it  
  
What, just because we’re fucking, we can’t be close?  
  
No, but if you’re fucking /and/ you’re close that’s...sort of called “being in a relationship”  
  
Ugh this is all getting so confusing  
  
I mean this week is confusing  
  
Things were so nice and simple until now  
  
You keep telling yourself that honey  
  
I’ll be right here when you want to talk about this for real though  
  
I love you so much I might not even say “I told you so”  
  
You would never pass up a chance to say “I told you so”  
  
Smug bitch  
  
😘😘😘  
  
Seriously though, try not to freak out too bad  
  
Boys are strange creatures when it comes to talking about feelings  
  
Even the good ones are pretty constipated  
  
Once he gets back, he’ll get in touch and you guys will go back to fucking like bunnies  
  
Spirits I hope so  
  


Katara’s phone rang on Monday night, and she picked up right away, expecting her takeout to be arriving, but was surprised when her “Hello?” was answered by Zuko’s voice.

“Hey,” he sighed. “How are you?” His voice was rough. He sounded exhausted, and Katara felt relief and guilt swirling in her stomach.

“I’m fine. How are you? You sound like shit.” Even his laugh sounded worn.

“Ugh. That’s a...loaded question.”

“Well, I’m listening if you want to _un_ load a little.”

“I…” he sighed again, and she could hear a sound that she imagined was him falling back on his bed. “I don’t know.” There was a knock at Katara’s door. The silence over the line lasted through her accepting her dinner from the delivery guy. She mouthed her _thank you_ to avoid breaking the moment, certain that any intrusions of her life continuing would scare him off the line altogether. She set the paper bag on her counter, but took the call into her bedroom so she could lie down. Some conversations were meant to be had while you were cozy.

“Why did you want to call me?” she asked, settling under her covers and closing her eyes. His voice was right in her ear, and as the blankets warmed around her, it almost felt like one of dozens of talks they’ve had before.

“I don’t know,” he said again. “I guess...It felt weird to just show up out of nowhere and text you.” So he did realize it was weird that they hadn’t talked at all while he was gone. Katara wasn’t sure if it felt better that Zuko had obviously felt the strangeness of the distance between them, or if it felt worse to know Zuko had intentionally not contacted her.

“So is this a booty call?” Katara asked, trying for teasing. He laughed again, tired and helpless. “Are you about to say you don’t know again?”

“Maybe.”

“Is there anything you _do_ know right now?”

“I want to talk to you.” Katara’s heart leapt.

“Okay.”

“What have you been up to this week?” Taking the hint that he wasn’t ready to talk about his own shit yet, she dragged out her account of trying to train Cat-Tara.

“The judgement was the worst part, really. She looked at me like _I’m not going to sit for you. You are beneath me, peasant! You sit for me!_ ” The silly high-pitched voice she used to mimic the cat had him laughing genuinely, and she imagined the loosening of his face and limbs. She’d watched it happen time and time again after long shifts (although now she had to wonder how many of those tense days had been from whatever family issues had been brewing and not just tea shop drama). Her fingers twitched and grasped the blankets tighter, wanting to be running through his hair. “And that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that I _did_! I squatted down to show her how to do it, like she just didn’t know!” Zuko cracked up harder, gasping her name through his laughter. When he calms down again, they lapse into silence, breathing quietly down the line.

“It was my sister,” he said quietly. Katara hadn’t even known he had a sister - or a sibling at all. The way he had talked about his cousin made her assume he must’ve been the closest approximation.

“Is she okay?” Katara asked.

“We’ll see.” He didn’t sound particularly optimistic, but he didn’t sound as freaked out as she would’ve been if there was anything wrong with Sokka. As much of a pain in the ass as her brother was, she was at his door with soup for every seasonal cold, just like he was primed with snacks and bad jokes whenever she was sad and wallowing. Katara was starting to get the sense that Zuko’s relationship with his family - except his uncle - was a lot closer to Toph’s experience than her own.

“Is she sick?”

“Sort of.” The silence that followed felt contemplative somehow, so she left him to collect his thoughts again. “She had some kind of...nervous breakdown psychotic episode thing. I don’t know. Nobody could give me a ton of information about it. But that’s why I had to go all the way to Caldera. Our mom called me, and she only knew something was wrong because Azula called her and I guess said some shit that was...partly true, but also a bunch more that was straight up delusional. She didn’t get into a ton of specifics, but I can guess some of it.”

“Has this happened before?”

“No, but it was...sort of inevitable I think. She’s always been a little...unstable or unhinged or whatever. Ever since we were kids. She never realized that our dad is a terrible person, or that he’s impossible to please. She’s never cared that he always raises the bar every time someone meets it because so far she’s been able to clear all the hurdles. I, however, was mediocre enough that I had to learn to live with his disappointment long ago.”

“Zuko, I’m so sorry.” _For doubting you like a jerk_.

“It’s okay. I thought I’d feel like a stupid kid again and have a totatl meltdown having to see him, but...actually it was alright. Not like he apologized or even tried not to act like a total dickweed, but I still felt like me when I was talking to him.”

“Why did it have to be you?” His sigh was annoyed, as though this was a question he had asked himself.

“Mom said she couldn’t face him.”

“But it’s about her kid.”

“She -” Zuko took a deep breath and started over. “You know how they say ‘that which does not kill you makes you stronger’?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t think that’s true for everyone. I think my mom used up the last of her strength to leave him, and now there’s just nothing left. We didn’t really talk for a while because she just up and disappeared one day, and it wasn’t until after he actually hurt me that she tried to get back in touch. Maybe it was my memories being all messed up, but when I saw her again she just felt like...less than what I remembered. I ended up staying with Uncle. She left Azula with Dad. She had another kid with her new husband.” Katara felt anger flare hot in her chest on his behalf.

“That’s fucked.” He laughed, mirthlessly.

“Yeah, it is. And as lousy of a sister as she is, I can’t really blame it all on Azula, so I went to try and convince her to take a leave of absence from school and go get some help. Dad was against it, of course, and it’s not like I really thought that she would listen to me over him in a million years but, you know.”

“You had to try,” Katara finishes.

“Yeah.”

“You’re a good brother.”

“Could’ve been better.”

“You were a kid too, Zuko. You were hurting too. It should’ve been the adults’ responsibility to handle it. Trust me when I say it fucks you up to try and do it for them.”

“Is that what happened to you? When your mom…”

“Yeah. Dad and Gran-Gran tried their best, but they were so depressed. Dad couldn’t really manage to do anything but go to work, and Gran-Gran is pretty old. I ended up taking care of my family a lot. It was sort of like I _became_ her, and everyone missed Mom so much that they let it happen.”

“And if you’re your mom, then…”

“Then nobody’s Katara. I still don’t know if I’m completely me. I probably won’t ever know. So don’t be sorry for being Zuko.”

“It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it?”

“I demand it,” Katara said, smiling into the pillow. 

The silence was peaceful then, and if it weren’t for the gnawing hunger in her stomach, Katara could probably fall asleep. After a couple more minutes of quiet breathing, she heard a distant voice from Zuko’s end of the call. There was a shuffling sound as he covered the phone and he yelled something muffled in reply.

“That was Uncle,” he explains when he returns. “Dinner is ready.”

“My food’s been here a while, I should probably go eat too.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to -”

“Zuko, if I wanted to eat instead of talk, I would’ve told you when it got here.

“Okay. Well, have a nice dinner.”

“You too.”

“See you soon?” he asked hopefully.

“Yeah. Bye.”

“Bye, Katara.” The sound of her name in that low, intimate tone sent a shock of warmth through her, and she hung up before he could hear her breath go shaky. Just one more moment to lie there with her eyes closed and the illusion of him held close was all she gave herself, and then she forced herself to open her eyes into the dimly lit bedroom and acknowledge that she was alone.

Cat-Tara was sitting by her bowl, flicking her tail when Katara emerged, squinting in the hall light.

“Okay, I’ll get you yours too,” she sighed. Katara assembled a plate of lukewarm takeout for herself and while it was in the microwave, she refilled the cat’s dishes with water and kibble. With her food in hand, she stood in the hall debating whether she would eat at the table like a real person or curl up on the couch. Glancing down at Cat-Tara, she made a snap decision and instead sat down on the floor and started eating. “Don’t tell anyone about this,” she told the cat. The cat kept eating.

That night, she lay awake in bed, the memory of Zuko’s voice over the phone haunting her every time her eyes closed. She wanted to give him a hug, to let him lay his head on her chest and stroke his hair. How much of her would he need to feel comforted? Would it be enough to be held tight, or would he want her to kiss him as he had to console her before? Behind her eyelids, she saw him wipe away her angry tears and kiss her in the living room, felt his lips warm and gentle on her own. Then again and again, a series of goodbye kisses, comedown kisses, “sorry I bit too hard” kisses. Maybe that wouldn’t be enough though. Maybe he would need to crawl inside her, to feel where he always belongs, where he will always be welcome just as he is.

She felt desire flicker to life as she turned the possibility over and over in her mind. She felt more than a little pathetic when she realized that despite all of the down and dirty sex they’ve had, it’s the memory of sweet, almost _romantic_ , kisses and tender touches that were making her wet. It wasn't enough to stop her fingers from skimming up under the shirt she wore, teasing the smooth skin of her nipples until they were hard and sending shivers down her spine. The fabric was worn soft, and she realized with a rush that in her pathetic sorrow earlier, she had put on the flannel shirt he had left with her and never remembered to collect. It was torture to have these small pieces of him - to know he was just blocks away actually - but not be able to have him.

🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
**Saturday** 9:32 PM  
I shouldn’t have let you go earlier  
  


Usually, a message like that garners an immediate reaction, but given the week he had, she figured he was probably still talking to his uncle or possibly even asleep. Still, she took a leisurely pace that she didn’t typically bother with. Even without Zuko, it felt nice to take her time, to unbutton the shirt and watch her fingers pinch her nipples and smooth her palms over her stomach. She rolled her neck and shoulders, loosening her muscles. Her breathing slowed to something almost meditative, making her aware of the rasp of her hair on the pillowcase, and the ridges of her ribs when she inhaled, and the jut of her hipbones when she exhaled. Just as the anticipation pooling between her thighs started to get too demanding to ignore, her phone vibrated.

🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
I wish you hadn’t.  
  
What are you up to now?  
  


She flipped on the bedside lamp and kicked off the covers to snap a picture of her in his shirt, one side brushed away to reveal her chest, and her free hand reaching down into her sweatpants. A shiver ran through her just from cupping herself over her underwear, and when she looked at the photo, she saw that the shutter had captured her hips giving the slightest roll upwards into the hint of friction. She pressed send.

🔥 Zuko 🔥  
  
I can come over  
  
Don’t, you should sleep  
  
I’ll live with this for another night  
  
I don’t know if I will though  
  
I can sleep later  
  
If you come over here, nobody’s sleeping.  
  
That doesn’t make the point you think it does  
  
What is it people say? “I’ll send so many pictures it’ll be like you were there”?  
  
Definitely not the same.  
  


Then the phone started buzzing again, only Katara found herself staring at her own face as a request for a video call popped up. Her heart somehow both settled and sped up. 

“Hey,” she breathed as Zuko’s face appeared on her screen.

“Hey,” he said, equally hushed and reverent. For a long moment, they just looked at each other, relearning the familiar lines of faces. “I wanted to hear you too.”

“Good.”

“Yeah?”

“I like your voice,” she admitted, and Zuko’s face changed, his smile sharpening, shy demeanor melting away into a now familiar confidence in the face of her vulnerability.

“Do you want me to tell you how to touch yourself?” he asked. She gasped, and he muttered “ _Fuck,_ ” under his breath. The background blurred with movement, and then she saw him settle against pillows and what must’ve been the headboard of his bed. Strange that she hadn’t had any idea of what it looked like until that moment, but the information was carefully filed away. Her stomach jumped under her fingers as she ran her hand down her sternum, traced the edge of her bellybutton, and then scraped her nails back up and over a nipple. Her breath left in gust. “Did I tell you to do that?” Zuko asked. _This was a very good idea_ , Katara thought to herself. Then aloud, she said,

“No.”

“Are you gonna listen if I do? I’ve wasted my breath enough this week.” Under his joking tone, there was an undercurrent of tension. Frustration from dealing with his family lingered, apparently not put to rest by dinner with his uncle. He needed this, she realized - the feeling of control, the knowledge that someone trusted his judgement, the assurance of knowing what was going to happen.

“I’m listening,” she promised. “Tell me what to do. Tell me what you thought about while you were gone.”

“I wondered if you wore the shirt,” he admitted, and she smiled at him.

“A few times, yeah.”

“Does it still smell like me?” he asked. She already knew the answer, but Katara made a point of pulling the fabric up to her nose, conveniently flashing him. Inhaling, her eyes fell closed, body relaxing out of habit at the clean, masculine scent of his soap.

“It does. You and my dryer sheets.”

“Were you going to leave it on, or was that just for my benefit earlier?”

“I was gonna leave it.”

“Get undressed. Nothing but the shirt.” With the hand not holding her phone, she shoved off her sweats and underwear, shivering in the cool air of her bedroom and the thrill of having access to her own bare skin. “Move the shirt aside a little, I want to see you.” She smirked at him even as she adjusted the panels of fabric to expose her breasts.

“‘I want to see you’ sounds a lot like ‘show me your titites’ from where I’m sitting,” she teased, and he threw his head back, laughing. The call didn’t do justice to what she knew to be the reality of the sound, or the sight of his smooth neck, always looking so ready to be marked up.

“I’m an adult; I tried to have some class about it,” he said. “Quit being a jerk and pinch your nipple.”

“Which one?” He gave her an exasperated look and rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know, your favorite one?” Her left was slightly more sensitive, and she was pretty sure he damn well knew it, so she reached up and tweaked it. It hardened quickly at the rough treatment, but she fought the impulse to soothe the sting with gentle brushes until he instructed her to do so, voice settling back into its former intensity. “Are you wet? I bet you are. You always wait until you’re so hot you can’t stand it to send pictures.”

“I am,” Katara admitted, rubbing her thighs together to deal with the spark his words sent flaring in her core. “I’d been thinking about you for a long time.”

“And you decided you needed a little help?” She hums in affirmation, her hips still rocking against nothing. “You can phone a friend for this any time you like.”

“You sure you want to commit to that?” 

His voice dipped low and sincere as he said, “Yeah. I’m sure.” Then: “Fingers in your mouth. Two of them.” She did as instructed, pressing down on her tongue and closing her eyes. She hollowed her cheeks and sucked, letting him hear her getting them wet, knowing he’d be imaging his cock in her mouth instead. “You look so good. Spirits, it’s dangerous how good you look all the time. How is it even possible?” Katara hums around her fingers, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Oh. Uh, you can take your fingers out when they’re wet.” He cursed under his breath when she pulled them from between her lips slowly, shining in the light from the bedside lamp. “Now spread those legs and tease your clit.” her other fingers dragged down her sternum on their way, and she pulled her knees up, feet pressing into the mattress. Opening herself up like this, into nothing, sent a rush of exhilaration through her, and at the first slide of her fingertips, her breath caught audibly. 

She pressed harder, and her mouth dropped open as the friction increased. “I said tease,” Zuko’s voice cut in. She opened her eyes - when had she closed them? - and saw him frowning in disapproval. With a guilty smile, she lightened her touch until it was just enough to keep her arousal at the forefront of her mind, but not enough to let it build.

“You’re so mean,” she complained, and he laughed.

“No meaner than you are. Sending me dirty pictures and then not even letting me come over to get my hands on you.”

“I couldn’t help it,” she protested, and squirmed against the sheets. “I missed you.”

“You could’ve fooled me. Stop touching your clit.” Reluctantly, she lifted her hand away, but kept it resting on her upper thigh. “Show me your hand.” She held up the fingers in question.

“Hands are off. Scout’s honor.”

“Well aren’t you a good girl now?” 

“I told you I wasn’t trying to! It just happened. I’ve been having withdrawal.” Katara’s head lolled against the pillow, and she made her best pleading eyes at him. A smile stretched across Zuko’s lips, and he shook his head.

“What am I ever going to do with you?”

“Make me come, hopefully.” Zuko’s eyes sharpened.

“Do you still have that vibrator?” The memory of the last time she had used it - the time he’d used it on her - made the need coiled low in her belly flare hotter.

“Yes,” she said, breathless with anticipation for his next instruction.

“Get it.” Reaching blindly, she fumbled for the drawer of her nightstand, and dug around until her hands brushed the familiar softness of it. She brandished it triumphantly to the camera, their smiles mirrored and unguarded. “Don’t turn it on yet. Just get it wet.” 

The toy slid between her folds easily, slipping through her wetness and nudging at her opening. She knew just how good the vibrations felt against her walls, and she craved the feeling of something stretching her open. Her fingers hadn’t been properly satisfying in Zuko’s absence, but the one time she’d contemplated fucking herself with the vibrator, all she could think about was how the last time it was used, she came laughing. Now though, with his expression looking happier by the moment...She wondered if he would tell her to pretend it was him when it was inside her. Regardless, she would, but she wanted him to ask for it. She was already thinking about it as she teased herself, remembering the needy sounds that would slip out of Zuko’s mouth when she grinded against him like this.

“Are you ready?” Zuko asked, a mocking tone in his voice.

“Yes, i’m ready,” she rocked her hips, and the toy bumped her clit. Katara bit her lip to hold in a frustrated whine. “I’ve been wet so long, if you make me wait any more, I’m gonna end up having to change the damn sheets.” It wasn’t even an exaggeration, she thought, as her knuckles grazed her inner thigh, skin slick where her arousal had already smeared from her wriggling. Zuko’s arm moved, and then there it was, one of those moans that went right to her core. “Are you going to join me?” Katara asked, hoping that she would get to hear more of those beautiful sounds.

“Not just yet,” he said. “You can turn the vibrator on now though.” Her fingers immediately fumbled for the power button. “But,” he added, just as the toy came to life, “you can’t have anything inside you until I say so.” The vibrator buzzed softly in her hand, and as she pressed it against her clit, she gasped, flinching away from the sensation only to roll her hips up into it the next moment.

“Oh that’s _good_ ,” she sighed, rubbing the blunt head of the vibe in slow circles. 

“Turn it up.” Zuko’s voice was taking on the raspy quality it had when he was teased almost to his limit, but when she looked, he wasn’t moving to get himself off, still just watching her. She pressed the button to bump it up to the next setting, and cried out at the increased sensation. “Move it faster.” It wasn’t a hard request to follow, her body craving the escalation as pleasure ramped up. Her nipples felt so sensitive, even with nothing but the occasional warmth of her own heaving breaths to stimulate them, and her pussy clenched around nothing. The pleasure kept ratcheting higher and higher, and Zuko wouldn’t let her do anything to diffuse it.

“Spirits,” she panted, her fingers clenching tighter around her phone case where she still held it, her head thrashing on the pillow, feet slipping against the sheets.

“You’re close?” he asked, and she nodded frantically. Her orgasm was building, and she needed him to let her put the vibe inside herself. She felt so full of pleasure and yet somehow gapingly empty, her body crying out for his. “Close your legs and cross your ankles.”

“ _Fuck_.” The word was almost a sob, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut as she did it, trapping the vibe in place.

“Now I want you to turn it up one more time, and then I want you to let go of it.”

“What?”

“Turn it up and let go. And no touching yourself after.” A pained cry fell from her lips, at the thought. Katara took a deep, shaky, breath to brace herself, and then she pressed the button again. Her inhale stuttered, and her hand instinctively wanted to reach for the vibrator. Her legs wanted to spread. She gripped the sheets tight to keep from disobeying Zuko, and let her moans tumble out of her unrestrained, not an ounce of restraint left in her to spare any neighbors who might hear her. Her orgasm felt as though she was dragged over the edge, the uncompromising onslaught of vibrations wringing the pleasure from her. She cried out Zuko’s name, cursed him out as she trembled. It seemed to last for ages, until at last it subsided into oversensitive jolts and she was able to blink her eyes open.

She reached to shut off the toy, but was stopped by Zuko’s voice again. “Leave it.” Katara looked at him in almost horrified disbelief.

“You can’t be serious,” she protested, but already the edge of pain from the continued stimulation was starting to come with a renewing pleasure.

“You know I am,” he said. At last, she heard the sound of pants being undone, but as sweat started to drip down the small of her back, Katara made a split second decision.

“Fine. But if I can’t touch myself, you can’t touch _your_ self.”

“That’s not how this works, Katara. I’m making the rules tonight.” She was quite aware of that fact, as she was slowly but inexorably pulled towards another orgasm while lying helpless to do anything but squirm. Zuko was still _her_ Zuko though.

“Doesn’t matter. You still won’t do it now. I know you won’t.” She grinned at him as he frowned, coming to the conclusion she already had - that no matter if she let him boss her around for a few moments, when it came down to it, he would never go against her wishes. 

“ _Fuck_ , you’re so unfair,” he complained, but she was too close again to care about his pouting. She was stuck though, keyed up and ready to tip over. She needed to touch herself. If she could just play with her nipples a little or put just one finger in herself, it would be enough, but she just dangled on the precipice, struggling and making pleading noises for someone who couldn’t do anything to help. Except of course, Zuko could never let her down. Of course, he found a way. “If you have plans tomorrow, you’d better cancel them,” he warned. “Because I’m going to be there bright and early to make up for lost time. I need to taste you again, feel you again. And again and again.” Images flashed behind Katara’s eyelids of all their past encounters, already fantasizing about what they could do with a whole day. “Dream of me,” he said. “So that when I get there and you’re half awake, I won’t have to wait. You’ll already be wet and I can have you for breakfast while you drink your coffee.” She was gone again, no sound left in her, nothing left at all as she shook apart, daydreaming about Zuko’s delicious promises. 

As soon as the aftershocks stopped, Katara uncrossed her legs and wiggled away from the vibrator.

“Hey, you might want to shut that off,” Zuko reminded her, but she shushed him.

“I can’t move my arms yet.” Her eyes opened at the sound of his answering laughter, and she flashed him a smile. In the little rectangle that showed her own image, she could see that her expression was completely fucked out, her hair messy and starting to frizz, a flush creeping from her face down her throat.

“Must be nice,” Zuko said. Katara laughed at his grimace, remembering that he was definitely still struggling not to touch his cock. The humor made it a little easier for her to recover herself, and she finally reached down to shut off the vibrator.

“It is nice,” she taunted him. “A little messy though, I should probably clean up.”

“Take me with you; I’ll stay on.” It was sweet of him, she thought. An approximation of how he would’ve taken care of her himself if he was there. “But, uh…”

“Yeah?”

“Could you maybe button up the shirt again?” She cocked her head in confusion.

“The visual isn’t exactly helping my situation over here.” He waved a hand in general indication of his crotch. She laughed at him again, but set the phone aside and did up the buttons again.

“Better?” she asked when she came back into view, picking up the phone and heaving herself off of the bed.

“Pretty minimally to be honest, but thank you.”

“I could hold it so you’re looking right up my nose or something,” she offered, just to make him laugh. In the bathroom, she propped the phone in the soap dish and asked him about dinner with his uncle. As she wet a washcloth to wipe down her thighs and then washed the vibrator, he settled back against his pillows and haltingly recounted his uncle’s attempts to make him feel better, but said he still felt like a shit brother despite the assurance that it was his parents that had made the mess to begin with. “I get that,” she said. “Stuff like that just doesn’t really have a solution.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Hey, you should go get a glass of water.”

“Okay,” she agreed, and kept him on the line again as she wandered to the kitchen and got herself a drink to take back to bed. Zuko got up to change into pajamas and shut off his overhead light so that he was also warm-looking and dimly lit.

Both comfortably lying in their own beds, they contemplated each other in silence for a moment. Until, at last, Katara found the nerve to ask what she had been wondering all week: 

“Why didn’t I hear from you while you were gone?” 

Zuko sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Honestly, I didn’t want to even think about you while I was there if I could avoid it.” Before the words could sting, he kept going. “My father ruins every part of my life he touches, and I just...didn’t want to deal with him seeing something in my face and needling me about you because...I actually don’t feel insecure at all when I’m with you. I feel like just me, and “just me” feels like enough for once, so I didn’t want that to get messed with. Sorry if you thought I was just being a dick.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” she said, aware that it wasn’t quite the denial she should’ve given, but unwilling to lie or confess to her own insecurity. “You’re a really good friend.” He smiled at her softly, and she wanted to feel it under her fingers, against her lips.

“So are you.” 

Katara yawned, her eyelids drooping as she struggled to stay awake. “Thanks.”

“Better get some sleep now. First thing tomorrow, remember?” She could barely keep her eyes open, but her heart skipped anyway at the reminder that almost certainly she would be waking up to Zuko at her front door.”

“First thing. You’re on.” As he ended the call, she closed her eyes to hold onto the image of his smile. 

_I am a ‘very good friend’ and a massive idiot_.


End file.
